The Principles That Guide Us
At Returning to Spirit, reconciliation begins with the courage to remember who we are and how we are meant to live with one another. Our work is rooted in Indigenous teachings that remind us that healing happens through relationship, honesty, and the willingness to listen with an open heart.
In our circles, people come together carrying different histories, different experiences, and sometimes deep pain.
The teachings help us create a space where truth can be spoken and where people begin to see one another again as relatives within the same human family.
These principles guide how we gather, how we lead, and how we walk together on the path of healing and reconciliation.
The Seven Sacred Teachings
The Seven Sacred Teachings guide us in how to live in a good way with ourselves and with one another. They remind us that reconciliation is not only something we talk about but also something we practice every day in how we show up in relationships.
Love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, wisdom, and truth invite us to care deeply, to listen with openness, to face what is difficult, and to learn from one another. Together, these teachings ground the work of healing and help us walk forward with greater awareness, responsibility, and connection.
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The Four Rs
Our relationships are guided by four principles that help us walk in a good way. The Four Rs remind us that reconciliation is lived out in how we relate to one another, not just in what we say.
Respect calls us to honour the histories, knowledge, and lived experiences of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Relevance ensures that our work is grounded in the realities of the communities we serve, connecting the teachings to people’s lives today. Reciprocity invites us into relationships of mutual care and exchange, where we give and receive with gratitude. Responsibility asks us to recognize the impacts of colonization and to take meaningful action that supports healing and reconciliation.
Together, these principles guide how we show up, how we listen, and how we move forward in relationships.
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All My Relations
The teaching of All My Relations reminds us that everything in creation is connected. People, animals, plants, water, land, and spirit are all part of the same circle of life, each with a role and a purpose.
When we begin to see these connections, we understand that reconciliation is not only about relationships between people. It is also about how we care for the earth and how we honour the generations that will come after us.
This teaching invites us to listen deeply, to act with care and kindness, and to recognize that our well-being is tied to the well-being of all. It calls us back into relationship, with one another and with all of life.
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The Turtle Model
At Returning to Spirit, we often speak about moving forward like the turtle. The turtle carries its home and moves with patience, intention, and care. In the same way, our work moves forward together. Staff, trainers, board members, and the communities we walk alongside are all part of the circle.
Decisions are not rushed. They are shaped through conversation, reflection, and deep listening. We take the time to hear many voices so that the direction we choose reflects the wisdom of the whole.
This reminds us that reconciliation is not carried by one person alone. It is something we hold together, in relationship, as we move forward step by step.
Mino Bimaadiziwin
Mino Bimaadiziwin can be understood as living a good life. It invites us to live with balance, awareness, and a deep sense of responsibility to one another, to our ancestors, and to the generations yet to come.
These teachings remind us to honour language, culture, and the knowledge that has been carried forward over generations. They call us to recognize our relationship with the land and to live in a way that respects all life.
When we walk in this way, we strengthen community and begin to restore the connections that colonization attempted to break. It is a path of remembering, of returning, and of living with intention.
Image source:
https://10carden.ca/indigenous-food-security-intern-experience-2023/
Forgiveness
Forgiveness holds an important place in the work of Returning to Spirit. It is not about forgetting harm or pretending the past did not happen. It is about bringing completion to experiences that still carry pain.
Sometimes things remain unsaid. Sometimes stories are held inside for many years. Forgiveness creates space to speak truthfully, to be heard, and to release what has been carried for too long. It allows people to let go of the weight of the past and begin to restore a sense of peace within themselves.
Through forgiveness, people can reconnect with who they truly are and with the spirit that lives within them. It opens the possibility of healing not only within the individual but also within relationships and communities.
This is an important step on the path of reconciliation.
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Walking These Teachings
At Returning to Spirit, these teachings are not only words we share. They guide how we hold circle, how we support healing, and how we build relationships with communities across the country. They shape how we listen, how we respond, and how we walk alongside one another with care and responsibility.
This work continues beyond the circle. It lives in the choices we make, in how we relate to others, and in the ways we carry these teachings into our families, workplaces, and communities.
Reconciliation is a journey. It asks for commitment, openness, and the willingness to grow.
If you feel called to learn more, to bring this work to your community, or to walk alongside us, we invite you to connect with us.