Friday of the Second Week of Advent
Too often, our Western mindset views health as an individual issue instead of a systemic issue. Indigenous communities that struggle with high rates of addiction, infant mortality, and suicide are blamed for causing their own misfortunes. They are also faulted for failing to be "helped" by the inadequate and culturally inappropriate resources provided by white saviors and other outsiders.
How different would things be if we opened our hearts and minds to true wisdom?
Can we learn to provide true support and solidarity, rather than our own limited ideas of charity? Can we dare to allow God to lead us, and allow Indigenous people to teach us?
-Meditation by Indigenous Solidarity Collective Member Teresa Thompson.
The 2022 Advent Calendar is a project of CTA's Indigenous Solidarity Collective, a working group that addresses the Catholic Church's historical and current role in colonialization. To support more projects from working groups like this one, please consider making a contribution!
Call To Action's 2022 Advent Calendar, planned and written by the Indigenous Solidarity Collective, provides 27 days of prayer and study to lead into action and solidarity with Indigenous communities. Here is today's meditation.
Call to Action: 18-19
Health
“18. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law, and under the Treaties.
19. We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, and to publish annual progress reports and assess long- term trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services.”
December 9th, 2022
Further Reading
The watercolor paintings featured on this calendar were created by Duane Yazzie, an artist of Hopi and Navajo ancestry. Yazzie creates artwork that reflects his Indigenous heritage and his childhood spent in the Southwest.
