Walking Together: Cultural Wisdom and Healing with XiQuelum
On Thursday, October 17th, KL welcomed guest speaker Gene Harry (XiQuelum) from Malahat Nation, who shared heartfelt wisdom on kinship relationships and snuw’uy’ulh teachings that support families across our member Nations. XiQuelum spoke freely, offering teachings from the heart, highlighting the importance of working with others and, most importantly, with oneself.
The day was opened in a good way, as Gene expressed his gratitude to everyone being present.
“The song I brought this morning, Chief Dan George from Tsleil-Waututh Nation shared with me,” Gene explained. “He gave that song so that anyone who needed it could use it to strengthen their mind and emotions.”
One of the important teachings Gene emphasized is that it's never too late to learn. “I’ll be 75 next month, but I’m not an Elder yet,” he said, repeating it for emphasis to ensure everyone understood. Many years ago, Chief Dan George shared a lesson with Gene that stayed with him: “Why are you walking two worlds today? Make use of walking two worlds then, and remember where you come from. You walk backwards—when you’re walking backwards, you’re learning everything you can.” Gene quoted Chief Dan and reiterated, “I am not an Elder yet; I’m still walking backwards, learning and teaching. Once I know what I’m supposed to be doing in life, then I’ll turn around and walk forward, so I can pass it on to my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren.” Gene adds that these were simple things that our ancestors used to say. Beautiful stories and sayings our old people had, working together with one heart and one mind.
Gene then shared the importance of finding balance within oneself, explaining that each of us have 6 doors. “These six doors - mind, emotion, awareness, heart, well-being, and body - are always knocking,” he said. “Some are pulling one way, others another way. The hardest part is getting everything aligned so we can paddle forward together.” Gene reminded us also that no one is superior to another; we walk hand in hand, side by side.
Turning the conversation towards our children, he held up an unlit candle, wick pointing to the ceiling, and then flipped it upside down. “Right away, [residential] school turned their spirits upside down, and there was no hope in what was happening. There was no love left in that person; their spirit was dampened,” he explained.
The candle powerfully symbolized how the children's light was extinguished by being taken away from their parents, grandparents, and siblings—a reflection of the deep hardships we still face today. “So now, we want all your candlelights, the children's candlelights, to shine bright,” explained Gene, adding that candlelight is meant to shine goodness—through songs, prayers, ceremonies, teachings, and connections. “We are not here to compete against each other,” he said. “We are all in the same canoe, moving forward together.”
Gene’s teachings left a lasting impact on everyone present. His powerful words reminded us of the importance of an open mind, healing, balance, and working together as we continue to support families and communities. By connecting with our ancestors, honouring cultural teachings, listen to the children, and nurturing the light within ourselves and others, we can move forward with strength and unity.
Gary Smith (Qiyup’elenexw) with Gene Harry (XiQuelum)