Healing Our Spirit Worldwide

The "Healing Our Spirit Worldwide" movement began with Maggie Hodgson of the Carriere First Nation and her vision of creating an international movement to restore health and healing to indigenous communities across the globe. Hodgson wanted to achieve the affirmation of the right of indigenous peoples to live their lives in traditional ways through respect, integrity and honour. These are all things that have been taken away from First Nations around the world for too long.

Hodgson's idea was to start with health and healing for the family, and move on from there. This one woman with a big heart wanted to bring that healing through hope and empowerment. To that end, she began lobbying the International Congress on Alcohol and Addictions and the World Health Organization in the late 1980's.

The result was the first HOSW gathering in 1992 in Edmonton, which was attended by 3,300 people from 17 countries worldwide. The latest gathering was held last summer, again in Edmonton after gatherings in Australia, New Zealand and New Mexico.

Strengthening the family, the community, the nation and the world have become the themes of HOSW; themes relevant to us all. After a recent surfeit of media pap about spoiled brat Britney Spears and her belief that the world revolves solely around her, it was a breath of fresh air to learn about Maggie Hodgson. This newly appointed Officer of the Order of Canada is one of the women who should be presented to classes all across Canada during the month of March.

March 8 is International Women's Day, a day set aside to celebrate women of achievement and distinction, but one day is not enough. Idiots like Spears are out there in our daughters' faces every day. They take no time off from their stupidity and their profligate ways. We need our daughters to know about the Maggie Hodgsons of the world. We need them to know that being a woman is more than just about their cup size. It is also about the size of their heart.