Before Cynthia was taken from her mother at the age of six during the ‘60s Scoop, she remembers sitting on a bridge over a river with her mother on the Long Plain First Nation in Manitoba. They were swinging their feet and her mother’s slipper fell into the river. “We watched the river take it and it was one of the last memories I had of my mother,” says Cynthia.
When she arrived at the farm owned by a Dutch family where she was to live until she aged out of care, she noticed a pile of shoes on the porch. In that pile of shoes was her mother’s slipper. “When I told him that was my Mom’s slipper, he said he saw it floating down the river and thought it was really important so he scooped it up. It was an important sign because my foster dad and I had a close relationship, we were very close until he left us for the spirit world,” says Desta.
That story foretells the spiritual journey Cynthia was about to take. The Creator had a purpose for her, she paid attention to the signs and followed her purpose in life. Also, Cynthia’s spirit name is Giwedin-kwe, which means North Star Woman. Like the North Star, she is like a stable presence in the world guiding others to safety and healing.
From the Anishnaabe and Dakota First Nations in Manitoba, Cynthia moved to BC in her twenties and began exploring Indigenous spirituality under the guidance of important teachers and mentors, including Sundance Chief Ruben George. She is now an Elder with Circle 5 and Xyolhemeylh, leads Sundance ceremonies, Vision Quests, helps men at a treatment facility, carries out end of life ceremonies, and is a pipe carrier. She is also the mother of six, grandmother to ten children and foster grandmother to two 16 year olds. She laughs that the number rises to seven foster youth on the weekends.
“Because I’m ceremonial I feel like the ancestors put me on this path because of where I’ve been and how I’ve had to heal on my journey to get where I am today. I love working with families, I love working with the youth, I love introducing our families and youth into our culture and ceremony. To me that’s important for their spirit,” says Cynthia.
Cynthia’s advice for social workers is to take care of themselves. “The work the staff do is very important, they’re working for the people and the creator and it’s a must to take care of yourself,” says Cynthia. She recommends smudging and drinking lots of water, especially during full moons. “The gravitational pull of grandmother moon is so strong, she’s pulling water from our bodies, so drink lots of water.” Cynthia has a documentary she did with the Pacific Association of First Nations Women called Water is Life. You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32VQ44fbr6k.
“It’s a beautiful way of life, the creator has put us in the work for a reason. I’m very grateful for the path that I have and grateful to the people I come across on this path,” says Cynthia.