My name is Gillian Power and I have been volunteering with Alongside Hope for a number of years as the parish representative of St. Timothys and St. Paul’s in Hatchet Lake and Terrance Bay, NS.
In 2019 I received training as a facilitator of “Mapping the Ground We Stand On”, an interactive workshop to raise our awareness and knowledge of our relationship with Indigenous peoples who lived on this land for time immemorial. This workshop was developed by Alongside Hope as one of the 94 calls to action for Indigenous Reconciliation. This is the 10-year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action,
Also, this year I stepped in to co-sharing the position of Diocesan Representative for Alongside Hope for Nova Scotia and PEI with Leah Marshall.
Alongside Hope held its annual national gathering in Toronto Oct 22-25/25. This was a wonderful time to connect with Mapping Exercise Facilitators and Diocesan Representatives along with Youth Group Representatives, where we shared practices and resources that we can take back to our little corners of the world.
The theme of the meeting was “Living in Right Relationship’. We were graced with the presence of National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper and several Indigenous Elders and Clergy, who shared their challenges, hopes and dreams for better relationships with all of us that live on the land. I was very touched by the Indigenous prayers and services. Receiving Communion from the Archbishop was a very humbling experience. Being in right relationship is about being mindful, expressing gratitude, learning about the Treaties, land acknowledgements, Truth and Reconciliation. We are here to learn from each other, give before taking, and work together telling the truth with honour, vulnerability and humility. Making the circle wider means building outward instead of upward, taking small steps to change our truth, spending more time together and holding space for our stories. Our stories connect us. As Cree Elder Esther Wesley states “I need to know you better if we are to be partners, you need to know me better if we are to be partners”.
We were invited to come and listen, see our differences but walk with open hands and open hearts. And don’t stop learning. We can share beautiful moments together. I had the incredible experience of visiting the Native Mi’kmaq Friendship Centre in Halifax to learn about the Medicine Wheel, attend a Blanket Exercise and make a talking stick for the Mapping Exercise. These opportunities are at our front door. So, reach out, become a neighbor and practice how we can live in right relationship.
By, Gillian Power
Learn more about Alongside Hope’s Indigenous Partners click here.
Wanna connect with Alongside Hope in the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island? Contact us here: Alongside Hope NS & PEI