#34. Lewis Cardinal: A New Dream and Story for Canada (Kanata), meaning Sacred Place

#34. February 27, 2020. My friend Lewis Cardinal is a great story teller. Lewis is from the Woodland Cree Nation of Sucker Creek in northern Alberta. He shares his stories (passed down by elders) of the origins of Canada (Kanata meaning 'pure or sacred place' in the Cree-Algonquin language) and Edmonton, one of the great pehonan (the waiting/gathering place) along the Saskatchewan river systems. Lewis provides reminds us all -- the people of Turtle Island (North America) that the foundation of a resilient and harmonious society and economy is based on good relationships with each other and particularly with nature, as our model.  Can his ancient model of an economy of mutuality and relationships, based on the laws of nature, become the new model for an economy of well-being? Lewis is a communicator and educator who has dedicated his life’s work to creating and maintaining connections and developing relationships which cross cultural divides.  A lot of his work has taken him into inter-government and inter-faith work as well as community development. His long track record of public service includes Founding Board Member of Alberta Aboriginal Arts, Board Member of Theatre Network, Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Commission for Human Rights and Justice, and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of World Religions, just to mention a few. Lewis has received Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Public Service, the IndSpire Award for Public Service (the highest award given to an Indigenous person by Indigenous people in Canada), the Province of Alberta’s Centennial Medal for his work in Human Rights and Diversity, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Grant MacEwan University, and he was recently conferred the Honorary Degree of ‘Doctor of Sacred Letters’ from St. Stephen’s College at the University of Alberta. Lewis notes: “When I asked elders, ‘What is the most critical thing that we as human beings are facing today?’ their response, collectively, is "relationships.” Lewis goes on to say "I believe that we’re entering into a whole new relationship and way of seeing ourselves as Canadians. I think the previous version of how we saw ourselves as Canada and as Canadians is due for an overhaul because Canada is quite a multicultural and diverse citizenry now more than ever has been. As a healthy and forward-looking nation, I think that we have to engage in that kind of dialogue to re-see ourselves, because we are different than we were 150 years ago.”