Indigenous Peoples have always carried the knowledge necessary to heal. When our people heal, our families heal, our communities heal and our land will heal. You cannot have one without the other.

These stories are teachings, prophecy and protocols shared throughout the years by elders, language speakers, medicine people and helpers. They have been the foundation to individual healing and learning self-love. They teach us how to make good decisions for ourselves and for all other aspects in our lives.

The author Elaine Alec (Sylix - Okanagan Nation & Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation & member of Penticton Indian Band) shares that even though she is Sylix and Secwepemc, many of these teachings come from these places, they also intertwine with indigenous knowledge shared through ceremony many other nations.  These teachings not only show us how to love and respect ourselves but they provide protocols and laws on how we are to plan for ourselves, our community and our economy, and they show us how to govern our people through matriarchal and egalitarian teachings.

People from all backgrounds have embraced concepts from other parts of the world that promote self-love, healing, and well-being through practices of discipline and meditation.  Yet, very little has been shared about indigenous systems and their approach to healing.