Returning to Ceremony
Spirituality in Manitoba MĂ©tis Communities
Chantal Fiola
- 336 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Returning to Ceremony
Spirituality in Manitoba MĂ©tis Communities
Chantal Fiola
About This Book
Returning to Ceremony is the follow-up to Chantal Fiola's award-winning Rekindling the Sacred Fire and continues her ground-breaking examination of MĂ©tis spirituality, debunking stereotypes such as "all MĂ©tis people are Catholic, " and "MĂ©tis people do not go to ceremonies." Fiola finds that, among the MĂ©tis, spirituality exists on a continuum of Indigenous and Christian traditions, and that MĂ©tis spirituality includes ceremonies. For some MĂ©tis, it is a historical continuation of the relationships their ancestral communities have had with ceremonies since time immemorial, and for others, it is a homecomingâa return to ceremony after some time away.
Fiola employs a Métis-specific and community-centred methodology to gather evidence from archives, priests' correspondence, oral history, storytelling, and literature. With assistance from six Métis community researchers, Fiola listened to stories and experiences shared by thirty-two Métis from six Manitoba Métis communities that are at the heart of this book. They offer insight into their families' relationships with land, community, culture, and religion, including factors that inhibit or nurture connection to ceremonies such as sweat lodge, Sundance, and the Midewiwin. Valuable profiles emerge for six historic Red River Métis communities (Duck Bay, Camperville, St Laurent, St François-Xavier, Ste Anne, and Lorette), providing a clearer understanding of identity, culture, and spirituality that uphold Métis Nation sovereignty.