Examine privilege

Dear editor:
I write today to talk about a reoccurring theme that presents itself within my experiences and ultimately urges me to use my “voice” in this forum.
The theme that is reoccurring has to do with land—the ability to purchase land, the ability to practice traditional methodology on owned land, and whose rights prevail in situations of dispute (a.k.a. the inconvenience of “smoke” from an open fire).
Ask yourself this. Is it your right to have an open pit fire in your backyard? Is it your right to have as many guests in your back yard as you want? Is it your right to practice your “religion” should you chose within the confines of your property?
And lastly, as long as you are not breaking any laws, disturbing the peace in an unlawful way, and inviting the neighbours to join you, does anyone have the right to cause mischief by repeatedly and incessantly making complaints that ultimately begin to feel more like harassment than valid concern?
There have been three situations over the course of the past seven years (one with another agency, one personal, and now this one).
The first two resulted in an intent to purchase land ultimately being abandoned. Now there’s an attempt to halt the traditional healing and ceremonial activities that take place at the Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Services Behavioural Health Unit located at 601 Kings Highway.
A little background is warranted for public education. The sweat lodge and fire pit that is located in the fenced backyard of this location took years of working in partnership with the Town of Fort Frances to ensure safety of all residents.
The FFTAHS practices due diligence in safety and bylaw compliance.
The smoke from the fire happens a minimum of twice monthly and a maximum of four times monthly (not a daily activity). On Monday, we hosted our spring ceremonies, which required traditional protocol of a small fire from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m.
There was several prayer songs sung during the spring ceremony and in my mind, I made a safe assumption that the same neighbour who aims to stop our practices would be making new complaints.
Without fail, I heard on B93 that complaints were brought before another committee and the town will entertain them.
So I ask myself and you—who is really being inconvenienced here?
The ceremonies on our owned land, that we pay the town taxes for, are not only convenient for the healing of the several hundred people that come through our doors yearly, but also are open to all the residents of our district for harmonious race relations and understanding.
Are you aware that we have worked with the fire department, bylaw officer, and, most importantly, our elders to create dialogues that encompass integrity and respect for all?
We at FFTAHS do not want to engage in conflict, but the time has come to say that we are being inconvenienced by the privileged ideology that would not call an individual resident experiencing the same complaints to meetings to explain who they are and why they do what they do for healing, but once again will call a tribal organization—working to heal and help people—to yet another meeting to defend and explain our rights to practice our religious freedoms.
In closing, we have been silent out of respect for the positive relationships that are developing with the First Nations’ communities and the municipality of Fort Frances.
But after hearing this issue once again in the public eye, I feel some context has to be given to the situation at hand.
I will add that since hearing the news of another complaint, I have spoken with several town reps and invited them to participate in our sweat lodge to put any doubts to rest.
I urge you to examine privilege and how it continues, whether through malice or ignorance, to prevail in a contemporary colonial world.
Respectfully,
Lori R. Flinders
Acting executive
director, FFTAHS,
Fort Frances, Ont.