We had a chance to gather at a fire circle at UNBC recently and it was more engaging than I might have supposed. We opened with our guest speaker Clayton Gauthier, a local artist and creator of a very fine cane with an eagle claw worked into it. He offered his insight into his own journey of self discovery, how he came to be accepting of himself, his character, and his sense of spirituality. It still feels very unusual to me to hear anyone express any spiritual views in a school setting but it was well received by all. I suspect that expressing religious views would be less well received, but who can say.

The UHNBC drummers joined us next. Music is always a good way to join in community. I had worried that it would feel like appropriation when I played the drum but it did not. The woman leading us conveyed that she was in her own learning process, though she carried herself very confidently, expressed herself fearlessly and openly and taught us a great deal. The highlight was unquestionably when my classmate Rob expressed his joy at being able to use a drum that was made for him by a team that he coached. Upon hearing this the woman leading us gave him her baton, which was very moving.

The event has caused me to reflect on the power of song, and I feel it would be good to have songs from various cultures to be able to sing in class.

The spirit of the fire circle was high enough that I forgot it was raining fairly heavily the whole time.