Adrian Sutherland, a Cree from Attawapiskat, and the front-man of the rising Canadian rock band Midnight Shine, says reconciliation is a process of understanding and healing.
The full extent and impact of the country’s residential system, he said in telephone interview, is not fully understood – whether by indigenous or non-indigenous Canadians. It will take time, patience and knowlege to fully recover from it.
He and Midnight Shine will be in Guelph next week for the ArtsEverywhere Festival, which starts Thursday. It’s the group’s first visit to Guelph. Reconciliation is a central theme of the three-day event.
“We are certainly out there trying to spread the message about First Nations issues and identity, and also reconciliation,” Sutherland said.
The fact that a city like Guelph and a festival like ArtsEverywhere would be dedicated to the theme of reconciliation is a very hopeful sign, he said.
“It’s a step in the right direction for a city like Guelph to be at the forefront of reconciliation, and certainly really positive,” he said. “I think all Canadians need to be a part of the conversation and participate in these sorts of events.”
Sutherland is a musician and businessperson who lives a traditional northern Cree lifestyle. He is the CEO of a company that works closely with the Victor Diamond Mine near Attawapiskat.
He said First Nations People everywhere in Canada are working to recover what was lost through the residential school system.
In the aftermath of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report and call for actions, Sutherland said there remains a significant lack of understanding about the country’s residential school experience. His mother was part of that system.
“The abuse she suffered in that school had a ripple effect on me and my siblings,” he said. “For a lot of us, even First Nations People, we are just beginning to really learn what went on in those schools. We are only just discovering what went on, so I think it is really important for everybody to try and understand things.”
Steps have been taken in the right direction in this country, he added, and Canadians are beginning to talk about it.
Nevertheless, there remains a strong sense of denial about that shameful history, and an unwillingness to be a part of the discussion or to learn about it.
“I think it is everyone’s responsibility,” he added. “I know it is an uncomfortable thing to talk about, but I think it’s important to try. I think the biggest opportunity is through education, to really learn about what happened and what went on.”
Sutherland, 40, said his music has always opened the door to conversation. His songwriting, he said, has been politically driven, but yet flexible enough to allow reflection and dialogue.
“I think First Nations People in their own right really need to focus on their healing,” he said. “For my own self, it hasn’t been easy to break that cycle. I am trying to bring the First Nations traditions and values back into my home and family.”
The children of residential school survivors, he said, are undertaking the difficult, but crucial task of relearning the languages and traditional skillsets that were “wiped out during the residential school era.” It is a significant challenge.
Midnight Shine released its sophomore album Northern Man in 2014. The title song was featured on radio stations across Canada, and topped the National Aboriginal Music Countdown for four weeks.
Midnight Shines performs on the River Run Centre main stage on Friday, Jan. 20, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.
