Relationship
Giving and Receiving is an Honour.
Within community outreach work, there is a lot of internal work that must take place to further harm reduction in our communities and ourselves. This week, we came together as a team to have some fun and engage in team building. Relationships are not only essential parts of Indigenous harm reduction, but relationality is the foundation of many Indigenous ethical tenets. It is important to remember that every Indigenous Nation has its own unique culture, traditions, and ways of being. However, relationality is a common theme strung throughout many Indigenous worldviews. For example, when one refers to “All my Relations,” the phrase captures the relationship of a person within the greater webs of relations. This means we are accountable to family, community, and nation, to ancestors who prayed for us, and to future generations. We are connected and accountable to all living and nonliving creatures. Relationship requires reciprocity, which must acknowledge the ebb and flow, give and take of life.
So, while an activity like our bowling event may seem fun, lighthearted, and seemingly silly, it encapsulates the depth of our tradition of connection, reciprocity, and love, allowing relationships to grow into a deeper connection. In the work that we do and the experiences many of us have, trusting and rich relationships are crucial. We cannot support one another without trust, and trust requires that our minds, bodies, spirits, and emotions are fulfilled. And so we encourage everyone to find a time and way to support your community members and practice a form of wellness that brings laughter and encouragement to each other. Laughter is such good medicine.
-written by QomQem’s communication support worker in collaboration with the QomQem team.