Let’s talk about wellness 

Well, it’s November, and that can only mean one thing – and no, we’re not talking about trying to get an appointment for your winter tires.

We’re talking about Spirit of Wellness month, an annual Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) campaign to encourage Kahnawa’kehró:non to take care of themselves – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. And with so much negativity out there, there’s no time like the present to step back, take a deep breath of that crisp autumn air, and think about what kind of life we want to lead – and what kind of life we want to leave to the next seven generations.

What is the spirit of wellness? Well, the slate of activities on the KSCS calendar has something to say about that. Lacrosse, the medicine game? Going for a run? The spa? Arts and crafts? Traditional dance, traditional medicine, and smudging?

These are all positive things that promote wellness, strengthen the spirit, and tend to bring people closer to what matters to them, closer to who they are.

What else will you find on the calendar? Little reminders – “Nourish your spirit with positivity, and let wellness grow within,” “Wellness is a journey, not a destination. Every step counts,” and “Connect with the community around you, and find strength in unity.”

Let’s face it, unity doesn’t always feel right at hand, and there’s plenty of division out there. A lot of anger. And – let’s face it, too – plenty to be angry about.

That’s all the more reason it’s so important to take a step back and regroup or recharge, and it’s so important to create space in our lives to take care of ourselves, even if it’s through something as simple as going for a run.

Of course, wellness can be a complicated subject, too. It’s no secret that many community members are working through intergenerational or personal trauma. This is on the Spirit of Wellness calendar too, whether taking the form of a trauma awareness workshop or mental health first aid.

Trauma is complex, and it can’t be overcome in a day. However, for those in a position to do so, approaching the world with openness and compassion is something that can be done in an instant, and it can nourish a sense of belonging and create space for connection and healing.

Spirit of Wellness month is about Kahnawa’kehró:non taking care of themselves, but it’s about Kahnawa’kehró:non taking care of one another just as much, because nothing could be more positive than that.

Being a newspaper that seeks to report the truth, not to mention speak truth to power, we are sometimes accused of perpetuating negativity - unpleasant stories that people would rather leave in the dark.

Nothing could be further from the truth, if you ask us. Our work is all about listening, about sharing perspectives, and empowering community members to enact change. After all, accountability, too, is part of wellness.

But so are the amazing achievements that happen on this territory every week. Our pages are filled with stories to celebrate, tales of the incredible community members who make this place, well, a community, be it through sports, arts, or culture.

There can be a heaviness in the air, of course. It’s a perilous moment, and like many we worry we are about to see the destruction of the environment accelerate, and for the language of hate to thrive.

But if there’s reason to hope, it’s all around us here in Kahnawake. It’s the student who’s never far from their lacrosse stick, dreaming of making the National Lacrosse League or Haudenosaunee world team. It’s the young adult dedicating years of their life seizing the language that colonial powers tried to extinguish. It’s the elder recounting how things have changed and how they might yet become.

It’s only natural that each individual has their own goals, their own path, but even as divisions roil, the importance of the collective is a conviction nearly everyone shares.

It can be hard to find the time to appreciate what’s special, what’s eternal and enduring, especially as so many toil away trying to make ends meet with jobs that tire us out and keep us away from our real treasures. But a little headspace goes a long way.

So, whether going to Longhouse, picking up a pair of crochet hooks, or throwing on those jogging shoes, wellness is taking a moment to remember what’s important. And that can only be a good thing.

TED Staff