Interfaith food bank feast held in spirit of reconciliation

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on September 28, 2024.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Members of the community take part in the Interfaith Food Bank Community Feast in recognition of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Friday at the Co-op Community Kitchen.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Interfaith Food Bank welcomed members of the community to their Co-op community kitchen to enjoy a feast in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday.

Those in attendance were able to enjoy Blackfoot traditional cuisine items like bison stew, berry soup, fry bread among other things.

Danielle McIntyre, executive director for the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge, told the Herald Friday afternoon that the feast was the culmination of a month long recognition of truth and reconciliation.

“September is an opportunity for us to participate with reconciliation and when it comes to reconnecting to the land that grows the food that sustains us all, we feel that we have an obligation to step up in a leadership role to encourage all community members to come together in the spirit of reconciliation,” said McIntyre.

To start off the event, McIntyre said they had Elders Lena and Newton Bullshields open it up in prayer and song.

“They kicked us off with a prayer to encourage people to come together through reconciliation to bless the food and of course, that everyone goes home safely from the event,” said McIntyre.

She said they also taught them about blessing the berries because everything that is taken from the land, it is returned to the land.

“People took out some of the berries out of their soup and the Elders will collect them later to place them back into the healing garden,” said McIntyre.

Lena Bullshield who was in charge of the opening prayer told the Herald she was very honoured to be there and very honoured to be part of the reconciliation.

“When we have a gathering like this, it’s in our tradition that we always pray for everything to turn out good and for everybody to go home safely. And if there’s food involved, we also pray for the food and feed Mother Earth back with the berries,” said Lena.

She added that they returned the berries to the earth because that way they can continue to grow the food that keeps them going.

Newton Bullshields, who shared an honour song that was passed along from his father with those in attendance, said taking part of reconciliation events are healing for him as a residential school survivor.

“Back then it was hard for me to talk to people, even to face people because of all the harm that I went through in the residential school, but today I do the best I can. So, when I come to these things, is helping me to heal, it helps me to talk to people more and face them,” said Newton.

McIntyre added that the idea behind the feast was to bring people together to try traditional Blackfoot cuisine and talk about what it meant to move forward together as both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.