Returning to Ceremony: Spirituality in Manitoba M騁is Communities (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780887559372)

Returning to Ceremony is the follow-up to Chantal Fiola's award-winning Rekindling the Sacred Fire and continues her ground-breaking examination of M騁is spirituality, debunking stereotypes such as "all M騁is people are Catholic," and "M騁is people do not go to ceremonies." Fiola finds that, among the M騁is, spirituality exists on a continuum of Indigenous and Christian traditions, and that M騁is spirituality includes ceremonies. For some M騁is, it is a historical continuation of the relationships their ancestral communities have had with ceremonies since time immemorial, and for others, it is a homecoming--a return to ceremony after some time away.

Fiola employs a M騁is-specific and community-centred methodology to gather evidence from archives, priests' correspondence, oral history, storytelling, and literature. With assistance from six M騁is community researchers, Fiola listened to stories and experiences shared by thirty-two M騁is from six Manitoba M騁is communities that are at the heart of this book. They offer insight into their families' relationships with land, community, culture, and religion, including factors that inhibit or nurture connection to ceremonies such as sweat lodge, Sundance, and the Midewiwin. Valuable profiles emerge for six historic Red River M騁is communities (Duck Bay, Camperville, St Laurent, St Fran輟is-Xavier, Ste Anne, and Lorette), providing a clearer understanding of identity, culture, and spirituality that uphold M騁is Nation sovereignty.