In the summer of 2019, the Bear’s Den All Nations Traditional Medicine Sweat Lodge opened with great fanfare. Ontario’s lieutenant-governor was on hand for the celebrations on the lawn outside Toronto’s Michael Garron Hospital. So were the federal minister of Crown-Indigenous affairs, two local Liberal MPs, a representative from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, and members of the Juno Award-winning rock band, The Arkells.
After the prayers, speeches and ribbon-cutting, they all gathered together for a photo with the eagle-feather-toting guest of honour, Ernest Matton, the Métis elder who also goes by the Mohawk name Atheshsa Niohkwa:rita:a — Little Brown Bear.
Almost three years later, all that’s left of the sweat lodge are a sign with the words “Thank You” and some orange ribbons tied to a chain-link fence. The hospital has shut down its Aboriginal healing program.
Identity politics is the drug trade of woke. Too lucrative for many to ignore.
h/t YY
