Planting the seeds of reconciliation

Elder Myeengun Henry leads the way in the Faculty of Health and beyond - By Eugenia Xenos Anderson Faculty of Health - Even before the commitment was made on paper and then solidified in ceremony, talk of Indigenous reconciliation had been taking place in the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Health. However, it took the hire of an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper to give shape to a process that is sometimes not well understood and often difficult to begin. That Indigenous Knowledge Keeper is Elder Myeengun Henry, formerly Chief of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and Indigenous leader at Conestoga College. His voice is soothing but forceful, and he looks like a man who has found his calling. Part grandfather, part sage, part friendly neighbour, he is a healer who came to Waterloo at just the right time. Elder Henry is at a stage in his life where he wants to share his knowledge, experiences, language and culture. He wants to offset the damage of more than one hundred years when Indigenous culture, identity and languages were stifled, prohibited and criminalized.