The Sacred Nature of Land

A few days ago, during a theological presentation that I attended, the nature of land and property was discussed. In Ontario, the conception of land is very different than in the Prairie provinces. Much of the discussion focused around the idea of being willing to give up church buildings in order to build stronger congregations.

Although I have not lived in Saskatchewan for long, I have become deeply aware that a very different understanding of land exists for those who live here. The members of the church I attend are not many, but they are faithful and they are willing to fight for their churches. Often the reason for this is that their church was built on a corner of their farm, their parent's farm, their grandparent's farm. This is the land that made them Canadian. The building is more sacred because it is built on land that is sacred to them and a part of their identity.

This discussion really crystallized for me exactly what was taken away from First Nations people, both through the reserve system and later, the residential schools. While I was always taught to respect nature, it was not until recently who central nature are to both my identity and my spiritual traditions. When the government implemented the reserve system for First Nation people in Canada, land was taken away without the understanding of its sacred nature. The residential schools further limited First Nations people access to the land, and with that, access to their spirituality and identity. Many students were placed behind fences and bars for much of the day. The students were also constantly observed when they were outside, which prevented any expression of traditional spirituality.

As debates continue about the value of land and how much First Nations people should be compensated for land that was stolen, I wonder if it is possible to offer any compensation that will reconcile the loss of identity. It may not be possible for politicians in Ottawa to understand the true value of land because they are so disconnected from it, as many who live in cities are. It is necessary for the sacred nature of land to be understood by the politicians who claim to be qualified to make these decisions. It is important to ensure that those who are placed in a decision making capacity really understand the sacred nature of what they are discussing.