A Saskatchewan First Nation is hosting Tibetan monks from across the world for a week of healing ceremonies and cultural exchange. Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, about 170 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, invited the monks to offer blessings and healing ceremonies as the community continues to address addiction, trauma and other social challenges. “We invited them for healing,” said Alex Ahenakew, an elder with Ahtahkakoop’s prevention program. “We have a lot of addictions problems. There seems to be a social breakdown. A lot of our people are off balance.” What brought the monks to Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation dates back 15 years, when Alex Ahenakew met Geshe YongDong at a conference in British Columbia. The two formed a friendship that has brought YongDong back to the community several times. “They adopted me and gave me [an Indigenous] name. And then after that, I always wanted to support [them],” YongDong said. He said the global Walk for Peace, led by Theravada Buddhist monks late last year, inspired him to organize the visit as another way to promote healing and peace. While YongDong lives in B.C., he said many of the monks are visiting Canada and a First Nation for the first time. During their first night in the community, they slept in a teepee when lightning struck nearby. “There was big lightning shooting right in front of the monks,” he said. YongDong said they interpreted it as a sign. “The creator is welcoming us,” he said. Over the course of a week, the monks are performing healing ceremonies, taking part in traditional practices and learning about Cree culture. YongDong said they have noticed many similarities between Tibetan and Cree traditions. “There are so many similarities. Just different language and different methods,” he said. Alex Ahenakew agreed. “They do a lot of fasting. They offer prayer cloth. They do a lot of ceremonies and it’s very, very similar to ours,” he said. Eric Ahenakew, the manager of Ahtahkakoop’s prevention program, said the monks’ visit has been well received. “They’re very friendly. Even though they can’t even talk our language, they’re laughing with us,” he said. Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation member Naoimi Williams said the visit is especially meaningful because, as a frontline worker, she sees the hurt firsthand. “A lot of our people face trauma and hurt and for [the monks] to come into our community and bless our community and help them heal, I think it is needed for our people,” she said. Williams said the monks have brought a sense of peace to the community. YongDong said he hopes the visit leaves a lasting impact. “My hope is [we] lifted their energy and then shifted their struggles,” he said. “My hope is [to] change [the] whole energy. Change in their life in a better way.”
