‘Acknowledge our ancestors, those who walked this land before us’: Under One Sky Friendship Centre grand opening
The muskrats were drumming with all their hearts to a large crowd gathered for the opening of the Under One Sky Friendship Centre in Fredericton on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 10 a.m. on a rainy day.
Patsy McKinney, executive director of Under One Sky Friendship Centre, drew a standing ovation.
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge our ancestors, those who walked this land before us, who carried our languages, our teachings, our songs, our resilience through generations so that we could stand here today.”
McKinney said the nearly 20,000-square-foot building is proof of what patience, persistence and collective belief can accomplish.
“It’s also a statement that when Indigenous people are given the room, the resources and the trust to build their own future, this is what we build, not a future designed for us, but one designed by us,” she said.
“It is more than just a building,” McKinney said. “It is a place where our children will learn who they are, where elders will pass on teachings — where culture, language and healing will live and grow for generations to come.”
David Myles, Member of Parliament and a musician from Fredericton, was among the guest speakers.
Enthralled by the drummers, he said, “We’ve got one of the best drum groups in Turtle Island right here.”
Glenn Bernard, cultural co-ordinator at the centre and a member of the Muskrats, said that being part of the opening was an honour.
“I find once people hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth — the drum, it just brings people closer together and it helps bring that good energy and good vibes into the new place.”
The smell of white sage greeted everyone at the opening.
“Sage helps cleanse the air around us and then we use it to clear our minds, our body, and spirit and allows us to walk in a good way, see things and talk in a good way,” Bernard said.
Bernard also described the inspiration behind the building’s architecture.
“The inspiration comes from a turtle. The turtle is the one who came up from the ocean and brought us Turtle Island, which is what we live on today,” he said.
The building’s seven pods each represent a limb of that turtle: reception and administration, health, a living room café, a workshop, a community kitchen, a gallery and a Head Start multipurpose education classroom.
Bernard also spoke about the importance of the sacred fire outside the centre.
“It's lit for people to give offerings. The fire also represents life, it gives us that warmth and strength. It gives a place for people to gather,” he said.
Bernard’s role at the centre focuses on sweat lodges, talking circles, sweetgrass picking and cedar harvesting, providing cultural knowledge to off-reserve Indigenous community members.
“We provide those services to those who are far away from home who don't have access to the sweat lodge and other programs,” he said, adding the centre welcomes everyone and is “very inclusive.”
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