Mohawk Faith keeper, Rabbi, Imam and Pastor meet to address global challenges

On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the Indigenous community has partnered with the Peace Network and members of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. The panel will explore the sacredness of breath and life and the importance of spiritual leadership in addressing global challenges.

On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Sacred Fire Productions has partnered with the Peace Network to host “Every Breath is Sacred: A Dialog Among Spiritual Leaders”. An event led by Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer, President of Sacred Fire Productions and Cultural leader Kanien’kehà:ka / Mohawk, and Faith keeper of Indigenous Knowledge, along with other spiritual leaders, Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, Imam Hassan Guillet, and Presbyterian Pastor Richard Bonnetto.

The panel explored the sacredness of breath and life and the importance of spiritual leadership in addressing global challenges. Kevin Deer, a cultural leader Kanien’kehà:ka/Mohawk, from Kahnawake, says, “With all of the complexities of what’s happening not only here in Canada United States, but the entire world, even now our Mother Earth is reacting, so now we’re getting more of feeling the wrath of her power with global warming, climate change, the hurricanes, the floods and all of this because there’s a prevailing attitude that says that we’re superior to the natural world.

“Well, we have to start asking ourselves, are we?

“And we have to learn from the Indigenous wisdom because we’re here in our house. So now the time has to come where you hear our message because for the most part people never heard it.”

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow is the senior Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom. She says, “These are not easy times and there are so many things, so many forces that would divide us as human beings and when we can find opportunities to connect rather than divide, it seems to me that it’s just as imperative.

“It’s morally imperative and it’s spiritually imperative to find the things that remind us of our shared humanity and awaken our compassion.”

Presbyterian Pastor Richard Bonnetto says, “It (humanity) is like a racing car crashing into a wall and you know we need to do small gestures, listening one to another in dialogue and getting to know each other better that’s I think a basic thing. It means a lot because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past, where we are today and how can we take lessons learned to provide hope for a future.”

Imam Hassan Guillet joined the conversation of community leaders. He says, “All what we are seeing around the world with all the conflicts, all the bloodshed, so we need to understand each other.

“We need to work to save this planet earth we have, we need to save humanity and we have to leave a better world for our children after us.

Elder Deer says, “Whenever we try to talk to the government people at any level about the historical agreements we made with their ancestors, we are viewed as token natives because we are never fully listened to.

“We are talking, but they are not listening because they are the ruling power and use the prevailing attitude that might be right.

“Now we have to say that the time for that superior thinking and attitude is over.

“We all have to start listening to Indigenous knowledge because if we don’t, everybody here on the earth will be gone in a very short period because we won’t be in accord with natural law.”