Upon this entry i would like to thank my elder for reminding me of the need for reconciliation bridges to develop organically in relationship development... all my relations
September 24. 2022
Journal Entry
FYI favoritism, nepotism & lateral violence doesn't just happen in the Christian community... the true showcase for colonialism of our Indigenous peoples is that we now treat each other exactly the same... we now draw lines along family ties, longhouse ties, Indigenous community against Indigenous community, non-indigenous policy ties, the ones within and the ones without, the ones that have and the ones that don't, the ones that are related and the ones that are not... nation to nation against each other in our own traditional territories... if the truth be known to the non-indigenous about how all this has been going on and the various struggles we have to work toward communal healing would profoundly astound outsiders... we have been divided and conquered as a people for generations... to the point it is how we now view value things and people and it has become a curse... the same saying i heard in the Fraser Valley over and over is "if you're not Dutch, you're not much" can be culturally translated if you're not Sto:lo no one is gonna follow... of if you are not St'ailes etc etc pick your community and insert it here... the same holds true for people whom are Status First Nations or Non Status metis... it even is noted how its separated on political lines all throughout our colonial experience that showcases that the kanadian colonial experiment has really triumphed... but i still believe that Indigenous peoples can still show resiliency and community by proving nay sayers wrong and working towards reversing all this intergenerational trauma... by loving on each other no matter the matter that has shown in the past to separate us... like my good uncle Robert Joseph keeps sharing with every loving speech... "we are all one"... for him and many others whom have felt the front end sting of Indian Residential Schools and bore the burden of being treated as others they have shown us the way... to love each other... and prove publicly our love for each other... to raise each other up always... not crabs in a bucket... not grasping greedily in order to have... oh sure poverty gives us little options at times but we still need to value our elders whom have gone before us in holding fast to the tenets of community... relational accountability in loving when its hard to do so... cause in reality its not about us alone... we are connected... we need each other... we need to heal... we need to thrive... so when someone is suffering or hurting either physically, mentally, relationally, financially or spiritually we need to have the courage to reach out... not to do it for others but to be there in the gaps of life when needed... sometimes just a call... sometimes a bag of groceries... sometimes a job... sometimes a hug or a laugh... sometimes share a tear or teaching... if we are ever going to heal as people we need to think as one... after "we are all one"... just some of my reflections this coming week when we are remembering all our relatives and heroes of our past in Kander's dark history... lets hold each other to account on reaching out a healing hand... lets express our powerful legendary uniqueness as Indigenous by doing what we have been known for... caring for others as we would for ourselves... looking forward to what it will look like in another generation... all my relations
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