Living the 8th Fire: Learning to Walk in Reconciliation with Our Indigenous Neighbours

Early visions of peace and friendship, of thriving together, are echoed in the 8th Fire Prophecy’s vision for a new, just and reconciled relationship between the Original Peoples of this place now called Canada, the descendants of those first European settlers and the many more recent immigrants to this place.

The goal for this curriculum is two-fold. First, we hope that it can help to restore the 8th Fire vision and hope in the hearts and minds of those who choose to participate in the learning. Second, we hope that participants, as vessels of hope, will seek out ways to “get to know the neighbours,” as 8th Fire host Wab Kinew puts it.

The curriculum is designed with a conviction that this call to a new relationship is for all Canadians. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave an apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for the damage caused by the Indian Residential Schools, he closed by saying that there was hope for “a new relationship between Aboriginal People and other Canadians, a relationship based on knowledge of our shared history, a respect for each other and a desire to move forward together with a renewed understanding that strong families, strong communities and vibrant cultures and traditions will contribute to a stronger Canada for all of us.” For this new relationship to become a reality, participants may need to challenge longheld stereotypes and judgments made at a distance and be prepared to do the gritty, demanding and ultimately joyful work of our reconciliation journey.

(7 sessions)