A Sacred Relationship
The Sacred Relationship is a research, film and educational project that explores how reconciling the relationship between Indigenous people and the rest of Canada can protect our water. The road map for reconciliation is based on the Cree philosophy of Wahkowtowin – the rules that guide our relationships with everything around us.
Through research and ceremony with Cree Elders, Metis woman and Principal Investigator Dr. Patti LaBoucane-Benson developed a model to represent an interconnected worldview that demonstrates the importance of building and repairing relationships.
Watch Dr. LaBoucane-Benson explain the model
This peer-reviewed article describes the worldview and sacred relationship of the Cree people in Alberta, as well as how colonial policy has created despair (pomewin) in Aboriginal communities and a state of disconnectedness from the water. It concludes with the presentation of a framework for the development of policies that seek to repair the relationship between Aboriginal people and mainstream society. To read the entire publication click the link below.