FNT2T Lodge Keeper speaks on unity and sovereign approach to governance through the Lodge

Treaty 2 Territory – Corey Whitford, MTNLive at 8am started the show introducing Monday morning co-host Mr. Allen Sutherland aka White Spotted Horse, who is one of the keepers of the Government of FNT2T, and he’s the Keeper of the Lodge. “I want to welcome Allen to the program and have a conversation this morning about what’s taking place at the Lodge. Where are we at in the process of organizing for the Lodge.”

“Well, first of all, my spirit name is Waabiskhi Mazinazoot Mishtaatim (White Spotted Horse), of the Bizhiw Doodem (Lynx Clan), Anishinaabe of Skownan First Nation. My common name is Allen Sutherland and I am the Lodge Keeper. I’m here to share what the Lodge means to us in the Treaty 2 Territory. We have been working hard and it is really gelling together now.  We (I) have a helper now, Renee McGurry, Development Keeper for our Lodge. You will see her in future sessions like this, where she’ll just step in and explain some of the work that she’s doing at the Lodge. Now the Lodge itself is a traditional large concept where used to be in the hub or the center for all our tribal activity. It’s not necessarily just on governance, but it was also our spiritual needs or educational needs”, said Allen Sutherland

Everything went through the traditional form of a giant wigwam. It was one of our ways of how it became our identity of who we are, and that’s where the clans would gather. They were assigned in a certain area within the lodge. Now we are going to bring it to a modern context that is large (task). Again, this is the center of all our activities. We really need a foundation, a stable, place where knowledge keepers and researchers and policy makers, and those that’s going to support the Circles that we have set up with FNT2T. Our clan system had the loon and the crane, who looked after our external and internal activities. The Circles we have represent this.

Our seven Circles are very important to us. Nation & Economic Development, Life Long Learning (Education), Children, Families and Nation, Care and Protection of the Natural World, Internal and External Relations, Health and Wellbeing and Peacemaking. As, we move into taking on back our governance, our self-determination and creating our own laws and own jurisdictions, it has to be based on who we are as the Anishinaabe.

“We have many knowledge keepers and researchers and people who have been out there doing the work for so long that we need (come together) to gel. We need to unite ourselves, and we work very hard talking to those that have that knowledge, traditional knowledge in the first place, the guidance we have been talking with them, even with technology using Zoom or our Teams (virtual platforms) where we’ve been putting a portal, a lodge, we’ve been talking to people who has been out there”.

For the whole segment with Allen today, please click here.

Corey Whitford – Lots to think about today, Allen, thank you for joining us on the program. Well, I learned a lot just by listening today, and so will you at MTNLive.ca…Our Voice Our Time!