[The following article was first published in Lifestyle 55 and is being reprinted here with permission.]
Someone asked me the other day, as have many people over the years, “Why do you wear a Star of David necklace? You’re not Jewish.” It started me reflecting on my somewhat parallel journeys within both the Indigenous and Jewish communities.
I was adopted and came into the knowledge of my Indigeneity as an adult. I met and was very thankful to be able to develop relationships with my amazing birth family. Within the family, my birth mother is an artist and poet, and my half-sister is Chief of the Animakee Wa Zhing #37 First Nation.
I started to become involved in various Indigenous groups by way of my career as a consultant and via volunteer work with organizations including Ma Mawi Chi Itata, Clan Mothers Healing Village and Knowledge Centre, Ka Ni Kanichihk’s Keeping the Fires Burning and as a founding member of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce. At a similar time, I was also asked by a Jewish friend to meet with members of the Jewish community who were immigrating to Winnipeg from Argentina due to the dire economic situation in that country then. My involvement in the tech sector had me meeting with people looking to find employment in the information technology industry in Manitoba. I was subsequently asked to participate in a volunteer mission to Israel where members of the political and business community from Manitoba sought to develop collaborative relationship with similar companies in Israel. I jumped at the chance to join them on the trip and immerse myself in Israeli culture.
Over time as I participated in events, talked and met with people in both the Indigenous and Jewish communities I started to see and reflect on some of the many commonalities we shared.
First of all, is the Indigeneity of both groups. First Nation, Métis and Inuit people are of course Indigenous to Canada as are the Jewish people to Israel. Both connections have been fully established through spiritual, cultural, linguistic and religious traditions which connect them to the land. Our status as Indigenous peoples in Canada and Jewish people status as indigenous people to Israel is further confirmed by archaeological, genetic and historical evidence of their continuous presence in each of their respective homelands.
Both communities have experienced historical trauma, having institutional and systemic violence, racism, segregation and exploitation perpetrated against them. By no means am I comparing these group’s experiences. Each experience is horrific on its own terms. The wounds left have been passed down through generations deeply impacting individuals, families and communities to this day.
Despite the traumatic experiences and the scars they have left, what I see is the incredible resilience of both the Indigenous and Jewish communities to live full lives, to honour their families, their ancestors those who came before and those generations to come. Both have an unwavering commitment to celebrate their identity, values and culture.
Often this resilience is shown by way of humour and laughter, whether it is a group of Indigenous elders laughing amongst themselves while providing a teaching to a group of young people or the gentle humour of a Rabbi telling a little joke to emphasize a teaching from the Torah.
What has to be my favourite part of the interactions that I have with both communities is their emphasis on using food as a means to support, comfort and bring people together. The Jewish people have managed to incorporate both food and humour into their statement (one I heard often by my Jewish friends) which encapsulates the entire history of Judaism into one sentence: “They tried to kill us, we survived. Let’s eat.” If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there is nothing like an Israeli breakfast to bring that message home. Every business meeting I went to on my first trip to Israel involved food even if it was just small snacks available on the table, I always thought that was a nice touch.
Food in Indigenous culture also achieves legendary status with bannock, wild game stews (think moose or bison for example) and riffs on traditional and non-traditional foods such as ‘Indian’ tacos and bannock burgers and pizza. In Indigenous culture, food shows our reverence for the land, food is medicine, security and safety for our people.
One community’s teachings to me are applicable in my interactions with other communities. Indigenous knowledge keepers have taught me what it means to be an ally. There are people who want to support and walk with Indigenous people and for that we are truly appreciative. We also want people to come to this as we say “in a good way” by learning about and from Indigenous people, by reflecting on our own experiences and history, by stepping back and giving space for Indigenous voices to be heard.
People who know me know that I am an ally and supporter of Israel and the Jewish community in Winnipeg, and it is the teachings from the Indigenous community that makes me aware and informs how I approach my relationship with another community outside of my own.
My life has become richer and much more culturally complete because of my relationship with both communities. In addition to wearing my Magen David necklace I also wear a deerskin bag which carries the four sacred Indigenous medicines: tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass and both hold a great deal of meaning for me. I was recently in Israel again, this year on a much sadder occasion, to support the community, following the terror attacks of October 7th and I regularly participate in the weekly rallies to remember and call for the release of the hostages currently held captive.
It is what I have learned from both communities that allows me to see what we have in common and what brings us together. I am deeply grateful for the honour of walking with each of you and learning from you.
