This Father’s Day: Two generations, two truths

Celebrating #NIPDCanada, we would like to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day and the last day of Aboriginal Awareness Week in Calgary. It’s also Father’s Day, a day to celebrate fathers and father-figures of all kinds. In this video, Dr. Reg Crowshoe, a well-known Piikani Blackfoot Nation Elder in Calgary, is joined by Johnny Caisse, a young volunteer that helps run the Diamond Willow Youth Lodge.

In parallel, they tell a poignant and personal story of what it means to experience intergenerational trauma, stemming from the historical policies and practices that have impacted the well-being of Indigenous people, including the legacy of the residential school system. They also explore what it means to be a father, how trauma has impacted the experience of fatherhood, and how healing and reconciliation can be advanced in the Canadian landscape.

Interested in truth and reconciliation? Hear a few of Reg Crowshoe’s thoughts on the subject.