Area J
Aboriginal / Indigenous SpiritualityWe are using the term Aboriginal Spirituality to refer to the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous populations in the world such as, but not limited to, the Inuit and the First Nations people of Canada, aboriginal populations in Australia, in Africa and the Americas and in Asia, such as the Vedha population in Sri Lanka. In all these cases, the land is considered sacred. Aboriginal Spirituality is deeply conscious of the intrinsic relationship between people and the natural and cosmic environment around them.
These beliefs about the oneness of reality are stated profoundly by a North America First Nations Chief White Cloud: “Man has a poor understanding of life…He must realize that this Planet does not belong to him, but that he has to care for and maintain the delicate balance of nature for the wellbeing of our children and all future generations. It is the duty of Man to preserve the Earth and the creation of the Great Spirit; Mankind being a but a grain of sand in the Holy Circle which encloses all life.
The fact that all human beings are responsible beings born with equal dignity and respect is also very much an inherent value in Aboriginal/Indigenous Spirituality. According to an Australian Aboriginal Elder Uncle Bob Randall; “We practice Kanyini by learning to restrict the “mine-ness” and to develop a strong sense of “our-ness”. Kanyini is the principle of connectedness that underpines caring and responsibility that underpin aboriginal life.
Aboriginal Spirituality is represented in the Humanics Sanctuary by the Inuksuk, and by Aminita, the main character in Lawrence Hill’s Book of Negroes.
An additional Humanics site has been reserved for an artistic piece communicating the messages of Aboriginal/Indigenous Spirituality.
J1
INUKSUK
This Inuksuk was made by Guy Lajoie of Leo Sarault & Fills Inc., from Fournier, ON
The inuksuk, a welcoming sign shaped by the Inuit in the form of a human being, indicates the presence of other human beings, reminding visitors of the presence of community. The Inuit people live in remote areas bordering the North Pole. Few in number and living in a vast and freezing area, they and the people of Canada’s First Nations are famous for the genuine and warm welcome they give to strangers, including the first European settlers who came to Canada. But many of the people from all parts of the world who came and settled down in their land, have not truly respected the basic human rights of these indigenous people of Canada. We at the Humanics Institute acknowledge that the Humanics Sanctuary is located on unceded Algonquin lands, and welcome all Indigenous people of Canada, to work with us respecting the fact that we are all members of one family.
How do we welcome the strangers coming to our community?
