Dear Editor
I heard recently that the teachers in a certain school in a certain province had sent notes to parents informing them there would be a smudging ceremony in that school. This was to educate the students in native customs or, if you will, spirituality.
There had been a protest, by The Mom. I am not putting that in capitals to be sarcastic. (Well, maybe I am.) That was what her lawyer was calling her: The Mom. Yes, she had a lawyer. I’m sure the lawyer was enjoying being interviewed by a CBC radio reporter. Look at the free publicity!
The Mom said children should not be forced to take part in such a practice. The Mom said children had been forced to say The Lords’ Prayer in school, in years gone by.
No one forced me to say The Lords’ Prayer in school. It was a custom and I joined in. Whether all the other children were saying it or not I do not know. It was none of my business.
I thought about what I was saying.
In fact, in time I changed one word.
Had someone heard me they might have corrected me, but would not have forced me to conform. Nor did I expect others to change to my way.
After the Lord’s Prayer was taken out of school I suggested that not only should it have been kept, but prayers should be offered each morning, one per day, on behalf of children in school of any denomination. And there could be a moment of dead silence for those whose parents had told them they believed in nothing.
But let’s flip the word “force.” The Mom has got upon her soapbox and used that word.
What about the students who have been forced to have no prayers?
What about the students who, if The Mom wins, and she likely will, will be forced to not learn about the smudging ceremony?
There should be more to education than learning how to run a computer. Perhaps the Mom would tell me, students who want to learn about the smudging ceremony can get it on the Internet. In that case why interact with living creatures at all, never mind other humans.
The Mom could put communications between First Nations and others back quite a bit by her action. The only winner will be the lawyer.
And for me it just means that, as usual, a minority will again tell the sheeple how to live. Deliver us from The Mom!
Christine Pike
Waseca
