Centennial College acknowledges that we are on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and we pay tribute to their ongoing legacy and the legacy of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. While we host a number of special events to honour this at the college, at the same time, some of our individual professors pay tribute in their own ways. Margot Van Sluytman teaches Global Citizenship at Centennial, and when she isn’t teaching students about social justice, she’s writing poetry or engaging in efforts based on her personal philosophy of Sawbonna, which means shared humanity.
With more than 20 published books (being an alumni of what is now our Publishing – Book, Magazine and Electronic program) and a Poet Laureate of Ontario nomination under her belt, Margot’s latest project is another book, which aims to tackle the thorny subject of the Bible, through an Indigenous-themed poetic lens. Called Joy Abounds: A Poetic Evocation, the book poetically re-interprets these stories through a lens of Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and does so for charity. Here’s how it came to be, and how it ties into what she teaches in Global Citizenship
A long-running project
"I came to write it," Margot explains about Joy Abounds, "because Reverend Anne Hines, who is the Minister at Roncesvalles United Church, started to do something called the Big Bible Journey." Earlier this year, Margot took part in a special panel discussion there, also on Indigenous issues. Roncesvalles is the site of the Walls of Welcome, a special art project by Indigenous artist Phillip Cote, blending Indigenous creation stories with a Christian stained-glass art style, which would later serve as the book’s cover.
"Anne said to me, 'Would you write a poem for Genesis first, and then Exodus?'" Margot recalls. "I said, sure. But then we kept doing it. She said, well, would you do one this week? Why don't we do one for all of the 66 books of the Bible, one each week?"
"The content of it is really significant, because Anne is, like me, feminist, and from a matrilineal view of whatever faith you have," she says. "So the languaging was inspiring to me, she would send me about three words or two phrases each week, and then I would just go to the book, take a look at it, and then write." The completion of the project would inspire her to turn it into a book, with a charitable cause in mind.
Charitable collaboration
"So what do we do with the community? We support the calls to action, with Truth and Reconciliation. This is crucial for me," Margot says. "We have what's called our Dinner with Dignity [at Roncesvalles], it's a meal program we serve every Sunday. It’s really powerful, we have guests, and it’s a really LGBTQ-inclusive community."
"I'm going to sell it and raise funds to support those specific programs," she says. "I spoke with Anne about it, and I spoke with Philip Cote, the Indigenous artist who did our Walls of Welcome and his words to me were, 'Margot, you can use any of my art, anything that you want.' And that is the power piece, because the front of the book is the Walls of Welcome."
Reconciling the history, through the Eighth Fire
"I know that whole languaging can be off-putting to people," Margot admits, referring to the history of colonialism and cultural genocide that the Bible may evoke, when placed adjacent to Indigenous culture. But she believes it to be in step with the Eighth Fire Prophecy, a mission of reconciliation that’s also the subject of a short film about the creation of the Wall of Welcome, as well as embedded into Centennial College’s own policies of truth and reconciliation.
"In its most basic, fundamental and beauty-filled articulation," Margot explains, "the Eighth Fire Prophecy is the time in our world based on Indigenous prophecy that says, right now, Indigenous and non-Indigenous are beginning to walk with each other in Sawbonna, shared humanity. That's the crux of the whole thing."
"The fact that Philip Cote, an Indigenous artist said, use my work, whatever is out there, that is a gentle and generous way of mimicking what the Eighth Fire Prophecy speaks to," she says.
"So these are poems based on the books of the Bible, and those feast days that caused such harm, now being re-languaged to be matrilineal," Margot explains. "In Indigenous communities, matrilineal and feminine energy and identity is huge. And that's what Anne and I share in common with the whole community."
"There is a knowing that it was not God and the Bible," she adds, "it was people in power that did that to Indigenous people, did it to so many of us."
"And the other thing is, it's not a big, fancy political statement," Margot says. "It's from the heart of the intellect and the intellect of the heart, within community and because of community. And that is how it relates to truth and reconciliation in this country. It's planting a seed of possibility, the cover itself says, you're safe, come here."
"The Eighth Fire is making room to be able to acknowledge and receive each other," she says. "This is not going to happen tomorrow. It’ll happen one word at a time, one sharing at a time."
Global Citizenship
This type of reconciliation is something Margot teaches in her Global Citizenship course, which aims to make Centennial students more aware of complex, intersectional issues both in Canada and abroad.
"Almost from day one, we always speak about Canada and Indigenous relationships," Margot says. "Even if that's not the topic of every single class, because we have 12 chapters, every single class, there is a question, there's a conversation. And when I get to the section where we do Indigenous relations, I always show the film that was made right over there, the Eighth Fire film, and then the discussions go on and on."
"In several of the chapters, there are sections when we talk about injustice, when we talk about equity versus inequality, equity versus equality, there is always something that takes us into the conversation with cultural genocide," she adds. "And then the students are quite interested. And I always talk about the Walls of Welcome. I always talk about Sawbonna, I always talk about shared humanity. And they are very engaged with this. Head and heart, our students have them in spades when we open up the opportunity to share in these dialogues, and they exist in almost every single class."
Reconciliation at Centennial
Margot isn’t the only one engaging in Truth and Reconciliation efforts. Centennial continuously holds events and efforts to honour Indigenous people, including National Indigenous Peoples Day, on June 21, and Orange Shirt Day, September 30. Even the college’s newest addition, the soon-to-be-completed Progress Campus A-Block expansion, embeds Indigenous collaboration into it.
"The A-Block expansion, that whole building is predicated on Indigenous values, and it’s connected to the Eighth Fire Prophecy," Margot says. "That big gorgeous building that's going up there? The architect is an Indigenous woman. And Sean Kinsella, [Centennial’s Director, the Eighth Fire] wants to get Indigenous art on its walls."
"Centennial is also doing calls to action," Margot says, "building relationships, making spaces, honouring the land that we stand on, where so much brutality has been done, just the shape of it." And Joy Abounds is just one of them.
"The price is $40, and every dime goes directly to the church," Margot says, referring to Dinner with Dignity. Those interested in purchasing a copy can email her at margot.vansluytman@yahoo.ca.
Written By: Anthony Geremia