By Craig Hadley, Local 5109, inSolidarity
OPSEU/SEFPO Indigenous Circle wishes to welcome all delegates, alternates, observers, and guests to the OPSEU/SEFPO 2025 Annual Convention to the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as well as the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people.
As part of our welcome, we open Convention with a ceremonial smudge, in which all OPSEU/SEFPO members, staff and guests are encouraged to attend.
Indigenous smudging ceremonies are used to purify and cleanse a person or space of negative thoughts using the smoke produced by burning dried sage. Those being smudged use their hands to direct the smoke from this medicine to their eyes, mouth, ears, heart, and Mother earth. This sacred act helps participants to “see the truth, hear the truth, and speak the truth”, explained Krista Maracle (Indigenous Circle Chair), who guided participants through the smudging process.
A large circle was formed with the nearly 100 participants in attendance. Maracle, explained the significance of the ceremony with help from Elders Dan Bowers and Ethel Lavalley and fellow Circle members Vice Chair Paige Malcolm (L499) Lauren Fong (L629), Ela Smith (L240) and Donna Barkman (L720). The Elders and committee members made their way around the circle cleansing each member with the smoke from the smouldering sage. After each member was smudged the committee engaged in the task of smudging the entire Convention space, including the perimeter, microphones and speakers.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of a variety of Indigenous songs accompanied with traditional hand drums.
If you would like to participate in a smudging ceremony led by the Indigenous Circle, another will be held Saturday morning at 7am in Simcoe Park (directly across the street from the MTCC North Building).
All members are invited to participate, hope to see you there!