聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 It鈥檚 a true story of loss and rediscovery. It鈥檚 a story still being written for many and although Sarah McArthur is still on her journey through life she has taken the time to write a book under the penname, Beatrice Blue Pipe, about her experiences thus far.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The autobiography titled, 鈥淭he Bosom of Abraham: Knowledge Must Be Transmitted to the Young,鈥� was a healing process for McArthur - a Nakoda-Cree woman from White Bear First Nation. She is now a Child and Youth Councillor as well as a Nakoda language teacher; but, her path thus far has been a difficult one. Throughout her years she has found peace and now is an advocate for her culture; but, finding that peace was a long road after attending a Residential School as a youth.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Residential Schools were operated by the Canadian government with the specific goal of assimilating First Nations People and wiping out their teachings. The Residential Schools were church-run and government-funded boarding schools that First Nations youth were forced to attend where they were treated abhorrently.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As the summary of the autobiography states on McArthur鈥檚 book: 鈥淎s she grew, the hateful lessons of her youth slowly consumed her, and like too many others, she attempted to silence those demons with alcohol and thoughts of suicide.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McArthur, however, found her way back to her culture in 1991. She had been a catechism teacher, but her heart was not full; so, she started going to the healing lodge and upon her first visit found she burst into tears. It only took a moment at the lodge to know she was where she needed to be. McArthur, therefore, has found not only peace, but a purpose: to spread knowledge.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he inspiration for the book came to me in a vision dream in 1999,鈥� McArthur explained. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just a matter of writing the book though, it was a healing process. The content has to do with my life with concentration on the impacts of the residential school.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o, writing this book was a healing process in that it helped me process information and it helped me to make sense of my emotions. It allowed me to challenge my belief systems about myself and about indigenous people 鈥� First Nations people. Writing the book helped me realize how important our First Nations language and ceremonies are to our sense of self, to our self-esteem, and our concept of healing. It helped me reaffirm my commitment to learning my language and being able to transmit knowledge to the youth.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McArthur added, 鈥淚t was a very emotional journey. At times I had to put the book away for four or five months because it took me through emotions of such great sadness and great anger. It helped me to be in balance though and understand that we all have spiritual journeys. Every individual has a purpose on earth.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Her want in the world is for all peoples to heal together, to be able to move past the hurt done by the residential schools, and for everyone to understand the cultural differences and similarities between each other.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 believe that the book was healing, but the biggest message out of writing the book is that we are all spiritual beings on a human journey,鈥� McArthur stated. 鈥淚 believe that our purpose on earth is to connect spiritually, soul to soul, with other humans. No one is greater or lesser than another; we are all equal in terms of being human.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McArthur鈥檚 healing through the book also came through finding her way back to her culture that was ripped from her as a young girl.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t helped me see First Nations people are stuck in grief; grief from facing trauma in terms of losses, and not just loss as in someone鈥檚 death, but loss of land, loss of our ceremonies, loss of our children. We鈥檙e stuck in an emotional mire and it鈥檚 difficult coming out of that because we are still impacted by the residential schools.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McArthur adds that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action were not really beneficial in fostering healing: 鈥淩econciliation needs to take place, but it needs to be amongst aboriginal people, Metis, Inuit, and main stream Canada. We need to all sit down and reconcile through respectful communication and understanding.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e need to not only heal as aboriginal people, but we need to heal as the whole of Canada and come to a spiritual understanding that we are all equal. Everybody needs to step up and put aside our preconceived notions of certain cultures and put aside our racial biases, because every one of us is on a spiritual journey.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y journey is to get people back to our cultural roots; for them to be strong and proud of who they are,鈥� McArthur said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The book about McArthur鈥檚 life will be available at the Bear Necessities Gift Shop at the Bear Claw Casino for $20.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 want to thank Derrick Big Eagle for sponsoring the artwork, which was done by Michael Lonechild, and the White Bear First Nation Taxation for their support,鈥� McArthur said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The process to publish a book can be a long one and McArthur is happy to be able to share her experiences and help educate people about what she and many other First Nations people have endured. She hopes to bring all people closer together for an understanding and respect of each other as humans is her ultimate goal in writing her autobiography.
