Tewwakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao

I took part in a guided tour of the village with the incredible name: Tewwakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao.

In my group, an Indigenous man from British Columbia was proudly displaying his Canucks colors. At the end, I asked him to do a video interview where he opened up and even thanked me for listening. I was thrilled; I thought it would be one of the highlights of my trip. When I went to watch it again later, I realized I hadn't recorded it. I always try to be quick and discreet during my interviews, but this time… I was furious.

Here's the gist of it. Jordan is a member of the Arthabaskan Nation in northern British Columbia, as is Carey Price. He's a professor of ancestral language and customs. He came here to compare. He's observed that here they've better preserved their language and customs. He speaks it with his fellow citizens who are fluent, but most have lost it. In Canada, the internment of children—yes, they were indeed boarding schools, many of whom never returned—in Christian schools had a devastating effect. The language and customs practically disappeared, and today everything has to be rebuilt, and that's what he dedicates his life to. It's inspiring because there's a great deal of interest among his compatriots.

According to him, the spirituality between his people and that of the Maori is very similar: respect for nature, the notion of the totality of things, thanking and being grateful to the Great Creator for all his wonders.

I asked him if this was compatible with the Christian religion; indigenous peoples are often very religious, as I observed in Polynesia. He broke with the church because of the destruction it caused. He cannot forgive this horror, which can be described as cultural genocide.

He has returned to traditional beliefs and is all the better for it. It's worth noting that during our tour of the village, a ceremony was taking place in the traditional hall; we could hear it but had to keep our distance so as not to disturb anyone. In this tiny village, 40 people still live; there is a Protestant church, a Catholic church, and a traditional house where major life events—birth, marriage, and death—are still celebrated.

Finally, Jordan showed the guide, John, the two pendants he had just acquired. John took them, rubbed them for a moment between his fingers, and then gave his instructions. “Before giving them away, you must wear them for a whole day to imbue them with your presence. When you give them, you remove them from your neck and place them on the recipient's neck. They are now imbued with your spirit.”

To end the conversation, instead of the usual handshake, John squeezes Jordan's head, pressing his forehead and then his nose to his, and holds the position for a moment. Then he explains that nose to nose, we breathe the same air; it's a spiritual exchange.

Reflecting on it afterward, I realize we have the opportunity to absorb this spirituality that has endured for millennia, allowing humanity to survive and experience a certain inner peace throughout the ages. It is a raw wisdom uncontaminated by major religions and other sects whose leaders have distorted the original message of love, turning it into a tool for power and thus keeping followers in a state of fearful submission.