Through lived experiences, Ryan Deneault shares his unique story of being a functioning addict for 36+ years and his attempts to fit into society for nearly five decades. His journey serves to help others find their healing path, while also teaching about Canada’s history, Truth and Reconciliation, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In this powerful narrative, Ryan opens up about his personal battle with addiction and his ultimate transformation through wellness and recovery.
This story outlines the contrasting worldviews of Indigenous peoples and colonizers regarding the winter solstice, highlighting its profound cultural significance. For Indigenous communities, the solstice symbolizes life’s cyclical nature, renewal, and connection to the land, honoured through storytelling, drumming, and prayer that celebrates the sun’s role in sustaining life. In contrast, colonizers historically approached the solstice through celestial calculations and calendars to assert control over agricultural cycles, with Pagan traditions like Yule later reframed within Christian holidays, shifting the focus to a dominion-oriented perspective. Today, Indigenous communities reclaim solstice traditions as acts of cultural preservation and resistance, celebrating gratitude, harmony, and the interconnectedness of life, standing in stark contrast to colonizer legacies that sought to dominate nature rather than live in balance with it.
His reflections serve as a reminder of the power of unity, the importance of understanding Canada’s history, and the healing that comes from embracing Indigenous wisdom.
You're invited to watch, learn, and reflect: https://cfjctoday.com/2024/12/23/1000-ways-to-heal-winter-solstice/
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