Reflection

As the Winter Solstice approaches, bringing the longest night of the year, we are presented with a profound opportunity for self-reflection and transformation. This time, marks a period of renewal and rebirth, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life and the interconnectedness of all things. Indigenous communities often observe this celestial event with an array of rituals, ceremonies, and stories, each imparting wisdom and connecting them to the rhythms of the earth. This period offers a unique lens for organizations to reevaluate and reshape their engagement with Indigenous peoples, embracing practices of Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

As a Michif legal scholar situated on the ancestral lands of the Métis Nation Homeland Region and Treaty 6 land, I frequently contemplate the inner work required of non-Indigenous peoples to advance substantive reconciliation. Critical self-reflection is essential for settlers to unpack their positionality within ongoing colonial systems and structures that dispossess and disempower Indigenous…