Reconciliation Reading Series (#5): “Indian Horse”
This event series took place in September 2023.
rec·on·cil·i·a·tion
/ˌrekənˌsilēˈāSH(ə)n/
“Establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.” - Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report [2015]. Learn more about Reconciliation on the Indigenous Corporate Training Inc website.
Spiritual Path to Awakening (SPA) is proud to offer Julia Rohan’s Reconciliation Reading Series, as an opportunity for learning and dialogue related to reconciliation. SPA takes pride in our commitment to making Indigenous Knowledge and Truth and Reconciliation an integral part of our event culture. This Reconciliation Reading Series is the sixth Active Allyship Event. Revisit recap posts for our past Active Allyship Events on the SPA Instagram:
- Reconciliation Reading Series (#1): “Five Little Indians” by Michelle Good
- Reconciliation Reading Series (#2): “Medicine Walk” by Richard Wagamese
- Reconciliation Reading Series (#3): “Permanent Astonishment” by Tomson Highway
- Reconciliation Reading Series (#4): “They Called Me Number One” by Bev Sellars
- Lunch & Learn: “21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act” by Bob Joseph
The fifth Reconciliation Reading Series will take place over 3-consecutive weeks in September 2023 and focus on “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese. The story takes place in late 1950s Ontario, where eight-year-old Saul Indian Horse is torn from his Ojibway family and committed to one of Canada’s notorious Catholic Residential Schools. In this oppressive environment, Saul is denied the freedom to speak his language or embrace his Indigenous culture and he witnesses and experiences all kinds of abuse at the hands of the very people who were entrusted with his care. Despite this, Saul finds salvation in the unlikeliest of places and the most favourite of Canadian pastimes — hockey. Fascinated by the game, he secretly teaches himself how to play, and develops a unique and rare skill. It’s as if he has eyes in the back of his head and can see the game in a way no other player can. The full book description and about the author can be found below & on the Indian Horse website.
NEW! Thanks to generous funding from the United Church of Canada Justice and Reconciliation grant, we are pleased to provide event learners reimbursement for their copy of “Indian Horse”(1 book or e-book per registered learner who takes part in the event series). Learners are to source the book (in their desired format, from their desired supplier) and keep the receipt or order confirmation. Kindly bring the receipt / order confirmation to session #1 of Reconciliation Reading Series (#5) for reimbursement from SPA. SPA has created a suggestion list on where to get your copy HERE.
Learners of the Reconciliation Reading Series are responsible for having the first 19 chapters read by the first session on Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
Learners will be provided a digital “Book Study Guide,” developed by the program leader, by email ahead of the first session. Upon registering, you will be prompted to download a digital document that contains all the event details. Please email path.awakening@gmail.com if you have difficulty downloading the pdf.
Reconciliation Reading Series (#5): “Indian Horse”
Weekly: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 - Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Downtown Abbotsford, Conference Room B, Trinity Memorial United Church
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (each week)
$40.00 (total for the full 3-week series, including reimbursement of the book at session #1)
This event is open to all members of the community. Space is limited, please pre-register on the SPA website to reserve your spot.
Trinity Memorial United Church is located at 33737 George Ferguson Way in downtown Abbotsford, BC. V2S 2M4. Free parking is available onsite (in the church parking lot) for event attendees. The event will take place in “Conference Room B,” located on the upper level of the church. Entry points: the office’s entrance if you’re comfortable with stairs or accessible entry via the sanctuary. Both entry points are located off of Trinity Street.
By registering for this event, learners, and their guests (if applicable) have agreed to our Policies & Etiquette.
The primary focus of the series will be on Indigenous authors from across Turtle Island but may also include books from indigenous allies who use their writing to advocate in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. If you have a novel to suggest, kindly email it to path.awakening@gmail.com. The six books we have read together so far within our Active Allyship Events are: “Five Little Indians” by Michelle Good, “Medicine Walk” by Richard Wagamese, “Permanent Astonishment” by Tomson Highway, “They Called Me Number One” by Bev Sellars, and “21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act” by Bob Joseph.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER:
Julia Rohan is an author, singer-songwriter and visual artist. A graduate of the Honours English Literature program (with Distinction) at Concordia University in Montreal, she has since self-published a fantasy trilogy (“The Weaverworld Trilogy”) and produced two CDs of original music. In 2002 she was a runner-up in the CBC-QWF short story contest.
Since moving to BC in 2018, she has published two more books. One is a work of local history entitled “The Trethewey Women: 1800-1900”, available through Heritage Abbotsford Society. The other, a book of quotes, poems, prayers, photographs and lyrics by various contributors, is available from the author and at local retailers. Titled “Everyday Inspirations”, it includes her own work as well as that of friends and famous writers throughout the centuries.
Julia has been twice nominated for the Abby Award given out annually by the Abbotsford Arts Society – once in 2019 and again in 2020. She is currently at work on a book regarding certain women in the Bible. She and her husband, retired architect Ted Yudelson, enjoy sharing their passions with others – and Reconciliation is high on their list of priorities.
ABOUT THE NOVEL:
Winner of Canada Reads People's Choice award
A Globe and Mail top 100 book of 2012
2013-2014 First Nation Communities Read Selection
CODE's Burt Award for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Literature
The story takes place in late 1950s Ontario, where eight-year-old Saul Indian Horse is torn from his Ojibway family and committed to one of Canada’s notorious Catholic Residential Schools. In this oppressive environment, Saul is denied the freedom to speak his language or embrace his Indigenous culture and he witnesses and experiences all kinds of abuse at the hands of the very people who were entrusted with his care. Despite this, Saul finds salvation in the unlikeliest of places and the most favourite of Canadian pastimes — hockey. Fascinated by the game, he secretly teaches himself how to play, and develops a unique and rare skill. It’s as if he has eyes in the back of his head and can see the game in a way no other player can.
Saul’s talent leads him away from the misery of the Residential School to a Northern Ontario Indigenous league and eventually to the pros - but the terrors of Saul’s past seem to follow him. Forced to confront painful memories and revelations, he draws on the strength of his ancestors and the understanding of his friends to gain the compassion he sorely needs to begin healing.
Saul Indian Horse’s story is one that needs to be shared with all Canadians - settler and Indigenous people alike. The story is one of loss and fear, but also one of hope and resilience. Indian Horse dramatically brings the dark history of Canada to the big screen and in the process tells a universal story of hope.
Description from the Indian Horse website
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Richard Wagamese was one of Canada’s foremost Indigenous authors and an esteemed public speaker and storyteller. A professional writer since 1979, he was a newspaper columnist and reporter, radio and television broadcaster and producer, documentary producer and the author of fourteen titles from various Canadian publishers.
He was a success in every genre of writing he tried. An Ojibway from the Wabaseemoong First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, he became the first Native Canadian to win a National Newspaper Award for Column Writing in 1991. He won the Alberta Writers Guild Best Novel Award for his debut novel, Keeper’n Me in 1994 and the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction for his third novel Dream Wheels, (Doubleday, Canada; St. Martin’s Press, USA; Bruna, Holland) in 2007. Additionally, One Native Life was one of The Globe and Mail’s 100 Best Books of 2008 and One Story, One Song was awarded the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature in 2011.
His first books were an anthology of newspaper columns, The Terrible Summer (Warwick Press, 1996) and his first and second novels, Keeper’n Me and A Quality of Light (both Doubleday Canada; Schneekluth, Germany). A critically acclaimed memoir entitled For Joshua: An Ojibway Father Teaches His Son arrived in October 2002, Dream Wheels in 2006, and the novel Ragged Company and his acclaimed and bestselling memoir One Native Life (Douglas & McIntyre) in 2008. He published the follow-up to One Native Life, entitled One Story, One Song in February 2011 and his first collection of poetry, Runaway Dreams, in July 2011, followed by The Next Sure Thing, a novel in Orca Press’ Rapid Reads Series in October that same year.
He is perhaps best known for his last two novels, Indian Horse (Douglas & McIntyre, 2012; Editions Zoe, France; XYZ, Quebec), a People’s Choice winner on Canada Reads that has been made into a film by Screen Siren Pictures to be released in April 2018, and Medicine Walk (McClelland & Stewart, Canada, Milkweed, USA, 2015, Editions Zoe, France). Indian Horse will be published by Milkweed in 2018. Richard’s last book, Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations (Douglas & McIntyre) was published in 2016.
Richard twice won the Native American Press Association Award and the National Aboriginal Communications Society Award for his newspaper columns, and his series One Native Life ran as a radio commentary and newspaper column in both Canada and the U.S. and was a weekly television commentary on CFJC-TV 7 in Kamloops, BC from 2007 to 2010.
Richard led writing and storytelling workshops in communities across Canada. He was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops in June 2010 in recognition of lifetime achievement in writing and publishing and was the 2011 Harvey Stevenson Southam Guest Lecturer in Professional Writing at the University of Victoria. He was also honored with the 2012 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Media & Communications.
He spent his later years in Kamloops, B.C. and died in March 2017.
From the Indian Horse website
