I read this July 27, 2020 article last summer, but somehow missed posting it here back then:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/non-indigenous-healers-appropriating-selling-dceremony-1.5660790Non-Indigenous healers asked to stop appropriating Indigenous ceremony
Ontario woman calls out 2 individuals about leading ceremonies
Rhiannon Johnson · CBC News · Posted: Jul 27, 2020 … Last Updated: April 8 [2021]
Reverend Sheila Black is based in Georgetown in Halton Hills, Ont. She is ordained through the Spiritualist Church of Canada and offers spiritual healing, weddings, workshops and funerals. (Be One With Spirit/Facebook) [Photo caption]
Two non-Indigenous new age healers in Ontario are being called out by a Black-Indigenous woman for appropriating ceremonies in their practices.
For the last 10 years, Bonita Uzoruo has been living in Halton Hills, Ont. She's Caribbean, Anishinaabe, Cree and Métis, and originally from southeastern Manitoba.
Uzoruo said there isn't much Indigenous representation in Halton Hills, but she thought she found a connection when she saw a photo of Reverend Sheila Black leading a drum circle.
"I assumed seeing that photo that she may be Indigenous and I thought, 'oh, this is great,'" said Uzoruo.
"I wanted to connect."
On the reverend's website, Uzoruo learned that Black is not Indigenous.
In January, Uzoruo emailed Black to voice her concerns about using Indigenous teachings and drum circle — and potentially making a profit from it.
"There's a long history throughout Canada in the U.S. of the cultural genocide against Indigenous people for practising ceremonies that she is selling, that she uses as a sort of personal resumé, like the sun dance, attending sweats, being part of an Indigenous network and teachings from elders," said Uzoruo.
Uzoruo emailed Black in the hopes of opening up a dialogue, but said the response she received was disappointing.
"There was just this assertion of a right to teach it because of the affiliations with unspecified elders, community, Indigenous people, Indigenous network," said Uzoruo.
Studied 'Native American' teachings
On her website, Black says she has studied "Native American" teachings most of her life, attended sweat lodges for 11 years, is a fire keeper at sun dance and is a pipe carrier with the Lakota Nation in the United States.
Based in Halton Hills, Ont., Black was ordained through the Spiritualist Church of Canada and offers spiritual healing, weddings, workshops and funerals, her website says. Black's website also stated her prices were reasonable and affordable.
In an emailed response to Uzoruo, Black said she began doing drum circles with a man named Anthony Barr in 2009, around the same time she began taking part in sweat lodges in New York state, and she had been performing ceremonies with Lakota teachings for six years.
Black denies accepting payment for drum circles.
"I never received a penny or any type of remuneration for these drum circles. I did it on a volunteer basis for approximately 10 years," she said in an emailed response to CBC News.
Black said in an email that she accepts payment only for weddings.
[…]
Not appropriating, Black and Barr say
Black said she is not appropriating Indigenous culture but would not facilitate further ceremonies publicly in Canada.
"I do not wish to cause any friction with anyone and will continue doing these ceremonies in private not in public. I would like to be an ally of Indigenous, not a threat."
Reverend Sheila Black's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/beonewithspiritHer website: beonewithspirit.com
I will shortly start a topic about Anthony Barr, the other person covered in this article.
