A conference hosted by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Healing Together Through Kindness, talks about rights and healing.

Nov. 9 focuses on Lateral Violence/Lateral Kindness and Nov. 10 on the United Nations Declaration on Right of Indigenous Peoples.

“Before we talk about the rights agenda we need to talk about healing,” said Treaty Commissioner Mary Culbertson.

“We need to talk about healing within ourselves or within our nations and that starts with kindness.”

By being kind to one another, we can tackle the legacy of residential school, the broken Treaty promises, and change the systems that weren’t built for everyone, she said. Reminding people that how we treat each other is what youth see.

The conference gives attendees from across Saskatchewan the opportunity to share their stories, as well as educate and support one another.

“We heal people by the way we treat people,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron during the opening session.

“Those acts of kindness go a long way, not only for ourselves, but for those who are healing.”