Celebrating Our Unfolding: The 1st Kerrisdale-Musqueam Story Circle on June 26, 2022
By Keiko Honda
Photography by Noriko Nasu-Tidball
We continue to ask ourselves: how can cultural differences and unique heritage benefit everyone? How can we utilize these cultural differences as a multigenerational and multicultural force for good? Going a little further, what do you know about Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or Indigenous knowledge?
I want to begin by acknowledging that we live, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam people. The Kerrisdale Community Centre sits in the heart of the Musqueam’s traditional land and was once an ancient Musqueam village site.
One of the important things for us all to remember, one of the reasons that we wanted to be here at the Story Circle is to celebrate the unexpected unfolding of life. For instance, I would not be here doing what I’m doing [facilitating the event], if Gail Sparrow, the former Chief of the Musqueam Nation, did not stop to talk with a stranger – me – on Dunbar street 10 years ago, shortly after I moved to Vancouver from NYC. Despite the vastly different histories and experiences, there are many things that connect us. Empathy, for example. That is what Gail shared with me back then and thereafter. I’ll never forget our chance encounter and the many beautiful shared memories, but these are stories for another time.
The reason why we named our program The Story Circle is that stories have the ability to help us learn about others and ourselves and to find understanding and empathy for them and their situations. We can often work through a problem or situation by creating a story about it.
Given our current challenges, such as the widening social divide, the pandemic, and accelerating climate change, our imagination and wisdom are vital to us more than ever. Indigenous communities, including here in the Pacific Northwest, have worldviews, encapsulated by stories, that emphasize the integral role of humans as part of the ecosystem, and they acknowledge that human wellbeing and survival really depend on maintaining some kind of a reciprocal relationship with nature.
In short, we need stories. Stories come in a variety of forms: poetry, song, movement, pictures, plays, and so forth. Through our Story Circle, you will witness many stories in a variety of forms. Hopefully, you will share yours in whatever shape and form you choose.
Our 2nd Story Circle is scheduled on Sunday, November 13, 2022, with a special guest, Michael Blackstock, a Northwest coast Gitxsan artist, on the theme of water sustainability and climate change. Have you ever been a part of a multi-generational and multi-cultural group or team that is all working towards the same goal? We are very much indebted for this collaborative opportunity—everyone is welcome to join.
See the images below for the captivating and heartwarming moments of the event!
(Photo credit: Noriko Nasu-Tidball)
