As a child, Casey Eagle Speaker endured unspeakable cruelty and dehumanizing treatment in a residential school – experiences that could have easily shaped a life marked by deep-rooted anger and bitterness.
But instead of letting this darkness define him, Eagle Speaker, a respected Blackfoot Elder from the Kainai Nation, chose a path of redemption. He reclaimed his culture, uncovered a spark of hope, and poured his efforts into healing and forgiveness; first toward himself, and then, most profoundly, for those who had harmed him.
“To survive I had to take back my culture, my true identity, my dignity and my pride. Then I had to forgive myself for my reaction to my past, and let go of all the shame, guilt and self-blame. I forgave the people who did what they did to me. I gave back the responsibility – it was theirs, not mine. This opened a door for me, and it was through culture – the beliefs and true value systems embedded in me – that I was able to heal and move forward,” said Eagle Speaker.
Since then, Eagle Speaker has helped countless others find their way from darkness to light. Through his many roles as a leader, friend and family member, he offers a listening ear, shares his hard-earned wisdom, and shows by example the profound healing that comes from making peace with the past and finding joy in the present.
“Your past is your learning place, but you can’t live in the past. It’s like saying, ‘I don’t want the sun not to rise – I want to push it back down’ – it’s impossible, it rises anyway. When you try to deny the difficult things you’ve experienced, they become weapons; but when you accept them, they become teachers,” said Eagle Speaker.
Wellspring’s Indigenous Cancer Sharing Circle
In 2020, Casey Eagle Speaker was invited to co-lead Wellspring’s newly launched Indigenous Cancer Sharing Circle. Rooted in the longstanding tradition of sharing circles, a central part of Indigenous culture, the program was thoughtfully created to honour these cultural practices and values, while also addressing the distinct challenges Indigenous people encounter when navigating the cancer care system today.
“I am a cancer survivor myself – in 2007 I had parathyroid, then prostate cancer – and I came to understand that you can’t give cancer power, you have to form a relationship with it,” said Eagle Speaker. “Also, I believe it takes the best resources of all worlds to maintain the well-being of human beings, so with Indigenous ceremonies and medicine, combined with Western medicine, my cancer is being managed.”
Drawing on his own experiences and weaving in ceremonial comforts, Eagle Speaker has helped create a safe and nurturing online environment where all Métis, First Nations, and Inuit across Alberta can gather to connect, communicate, and gain support.
“The circle has great value. People cry, they laugh, it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. I try to listen – never with pity, pity makes people feel helpless – but with empathy and compassion. Sometimes they need someone to help them remember how important they are, no matter the stories they’ve been told and what they may have come to believe,” he said. “Whatever their story is, I try to pick out the nuggets of positive energy – recognize their strengths and encourage them to open up, be in a relationship with cancer, and celebrate what’s good in their day.”
For Eagle Speaker, his past has been his greatest teacher, and he thoughtfully weaves its lessons into his everyday living.
“I believe we always have the last choice – the choice in how we view things and how we handle them. One of our basic teachings is that a lifetime is a one-day event. We don’t measure it in days, weeks or years … today is a whole new lifetime. Creator has given us this lifetime in this day. We should choose to celebrate it,” he said.
One Response
What a beautiful and inspiring story. Casey Eagle Speaker, thank you for sharing your wisdom and teaching. We are honoured to have you lead this program for us. What an important and fearsome role you play. Thank you.