Indigenous About the Event
Please register your attendance at your campus by clicking the links above.
Condolence ceremonies occur in Haudenosaunee communities to resolve grief. Following National Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30, and as we continue to learn more about the forgotten or ignored history of Indigenous peoples, we may feel overwhelmed by grief and uncertain how to reconcile and move forward.
These tri-campus condolence ceremonies aim to address the inherited guilt, shame, and fear stemming from past injustices towards Indigenous peoples and light the way for a brighter future for the faces yet to come.
Before the ceremony, students and employees are encouraged to share their reflections of truth, grief, and/or their hope for reconciliation and place them in the woven baskets found in the library on their campus. At the ceremony, these reflections will be released in a ceremonial fire, representing SLC’s collective grief for its shared history, and its commitment to reconciliation.
PARTICIPATE in a ceremony led by our Haudenosaunee neighbors
ENGAGE in truth and reconciliation efforts
RENEW relationships and foster unity and BELONGING within our community
More Information
The Haudenosaunee people are an alliance of six Indigenous tribes, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, who live in communities along the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec as well as in the American state of New York. They follow the Great Law of Peace as created and spread by the Haudenosaunee figures, Hiawatha, and the Peacemaker, which led to their establishment of the world’s oldest democracy.
Stories tell that Hiawatha, in a deep depression following the loss of his loved ones, was wandering the land when he met the Peacemaker. The Peacemaker recognized Hiawatha’s need to overcome his grief and carry the message of peace forward and therefore performed the first Ceremony of Condolence. Inspired and renewed, Hiawatha traveled among his fellow Haudenosaunee people spreading the message of the Great Law of Peace and succeeding in ending the war and bloodshed by forming the Iroquois Confederacy.
Since then, the Condolence Ceremony is performed in Haudenosaunee communities to recognize and resolve grief: to clear the eyes to see well again, to clear the ears to hear well again, and to clear the throat to speak well again. This allows clear communication and reconciliation.
Historically, we Canadians were taught little about the relationships between colonial powers, our government, and the attempted genocide of Indigenous peoples. As individuals and organizations learn and share more about this forgotten or ignored history, many feel overwhelmed by grief, anger, and sadness, all emotions the Condolence Ceremony was/is developed/designed to address.
A Condolence Ceremony will allow the SLC community to clear our grief and set us on a good path for true reconciliation.
As a precursor to the “Wiping the Tears: From the Shadows to Reconciliation” Condolence Ceremony, we invite you to share your stories of truth, grief, or reconciliation and place them in the basket. Baskets can be found in the library on each campus. You can also share your reflections on social media.
See the list of reflection questions here
At the ceremony, these collective words will be burned in a ceremonial fire, representing our grief for our shared history and a commitment to reconciliation in the future. Afterwards, the baskets will remain on each SLC campus to remind us of this important milestone in our communities’ healing.
The ceremony will be held outside rain or shine. While we hope for beautiful weather, please come prepared with umbrellas or jackets if necessary.
Please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early to allow time to be seated, as the ceremony will begin at 2pm. Timing below is approximate.
2:00pm
Ceremony begins
- Attendees are seated by the fire
- Edge of the Woods procession – our Indigenous guests will be greeted by members of SLC with a gift of tobacco
- Introductions and Land Acknowledgement
- Welcoming Remarks
2:30pm
Words Before All Else
The Words Before All Else (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) is the central greeting for Haudenosaunee ceremonies and meetings. It gives thanks for life and the world around them
2:40pm
Words by Kahentetha-Iakothahonni, Angela Elijah, Elder (Cornwall, Brockville campuses)
Words by Ka'nahsohon, Kevin Deer, Elder (Kingston campus)
3:00pm
Speaker Kanatohare-Rothahonni, Mike Mcdonald of the wolf clan
4:00pm
Release the grief. Drummers will mark the moment as the Fire Keeper places the words from the Basket of Truth and Reconciliation into the fire.
4:15pm
Invitation for all to feast. Please join us for traditional Indigenous food
Following the Condolence Ceremony on October 1, this talking circle is an opportunity to gather with other ceremony attendees and Elder Kahentetha-Iakothahonni, Angela Elijah to further connect and reflect on the condolence ceremony.
- Cornwall on October 9 from noon – 1:30pm; A103
- Brockville on October 10 from noon – 1:30pm; Room 216
- Kingston on October 11 from noon-1:30pm in Venue C
The talking circles are for SLC employees and students. Please register to attend on URSLC