Meandering Through the Writings of Others as a Practice of Lament: True Reconciliation

“Two Chairs, Ambleside” Phone Photo DS

Here are the explorations for today:

Wilson-Raybould, Jody. True Reconciliation: How To Be a Force for Change. 2022.

941 words

*** What can I do to advance reconciliation? *** (The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., O.B.C., Q.C. . . . ) *** awareness of the past and present of Indigenous  Peoples *** First Nations, Inuit, Metis *** My grandmother . . . was focused more on survival than reconciliation. *** We must all learn how to live together into the future in ways that address the legacy of colonialism, uphold rights, and transform the status quo. *** After I was elected BC Regional Chief, I gave a speech about what has changed in the last half century . . . we truly have come a long way in the last fifty years. *** working to address ignorant and harmful stereotypes *** confronting the legacy of colonialism *** pace of change *** learn, understand, and act *** The work of effecting change often happens out of sight . . . *** exploring Indigenous cultures and values, our colonial history, the law, and the nature and meaning of Indigenous rights *** My grandmother’s experience was not unique. *** We must all learn how to live together into the future in ways that address the legacy of colonialism, uphold rights, and transform the status quo. *** reconciliation *** transformative work *** building proper relationships *** a great cleansing of the wounds of the past *** apartheid *** A lot has changed since the experiences of my grandmother and my dad, and even since my earlier years as an Indigenous leader. *** Speech *** Indigenous women are reclaiming their roles in leadership and public life. *** What can I do? *** Reading *** Indian Act *** MMIWG *** learn, understand, act *** The work of effecting change often happens out of sight – unrecognized and unrealized – because it happens through people in their own lives and realities doing things differently, making different choices, and often sacrificing in new ways. *** We are here today because our ancestors made sure that we could survive. *** learning new stories *** Patience and trust are essential for preparing to listen to stories. *** Our collective national stories are powerful. *** They have tended to be constructed by the few . . . *** Did you know that at the time of Confederation the number of Indigenous people far outnumbered those who were settlers from Europe? *** We should not underestimate how siloed we are, and how much work we still need to do. ***  The recent revelations of mass grave sites of thousands of children from residential schools have finally caught Canadians attention and made many aware of the generations of injustice and abuse suffered by Indigenous peoples for the past hundreds of years. *** I’m a 100% settler/colonialist/British background and I 100% apologize for what my ancestors have done and continue to do to your ancestors and you. *** National Historic Sites *** repatriation of the Constitution in 1982 *** siloed stories *** Changing Curricula *** From the Iroquois: Long before the world was created there was an island, floating in the sky, upon which the Sky People lived. *** From the Inuit: Sedna was a beautiful Inuit girl who was pressured into marriage by her father. Unknown to Sedna, her new husband was actually a raven who fed her fish and kept her in a nest on an island far away from her family.*** Tecumseh, A Shawnee Chief: Before the palefaces came among us, we enjoyed the happiness of unbounded freedom and were acquainted with neither riches, wants, nor oppression. *** Royal Commission on Indigenous Peoples: Prior to contact with Europeans, Inuit were entirely self-sufficient. *** Pope Nicholas V, 1452: . . Chiefsinvade, search out, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens, Pagans, whatever. Reduce their persons to perpetual slavery. *** King Henry VII to John Cabot: may conquer, occupy and possess whatsoever towns, castles, cities and islands . . . acquiring for us the dominion, title and jurisdiction . . . *** The chiefs of the Shuswap, Okanagan, and Couteau tribes, writing Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier in 1920, describing some of their relations with the French: The ‘Real Whites’ we found were good people . . .  We never asked them here, nevertheless we treated them kindly and hospitably and helped them all we could . . . As we found they did us no harm our friendship with them became lasting. *** Two Row Wampum Treaty *** North Coast Haida Chief Kowes, Describing the Devastation of Disease: [T]he small Pox swept off two-thirds of the people. *** Joseph Trutch, a Political Leader in the Colony, Describ[es] the Shift Away from Treaty-Making to Denial of First Nations’ Connection to Lands *** A Missionary Stationed in Cumberland Sound: I have more than once . . . pointed out to these wretched people the whalers, the sure and certain goal to which they are travelling. The extermination of the whole of the Eskimo population in Cumberland Sound and elsewhere is only a matter of time, if some check is not put to these awful practices. *** Potlatch *** Frank Calder, Describing the Nisga’a Treaty: Under the Nisga’a Treaty, we will no longer be wards of the state. We will no longer be beggars in our own lands . . . *** Pierre Elliott Trudeau *** Mary Simon *** Beverley Jacobs *** Idle No More *** At the heart of learning is listening to and telling of new stories. *** Our Worldviews and the World We Create *** The United nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples *** Track 1 *** Track 2 *** Implementation *** Action Plans *** True Reconciliation Challenges, Elevates, and Advances *** Learn, Understand, Act ***

Meandering through the Writings of Others as Lament Practice: The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

“Campfire Ready for Later” Phone Photo by DS

Here are my explorations:

Ferguson, Jen. The Summer of Bitter and Sweet. 2022

993 words

*** This book is about an ice-cream shack, yes, but it’s also about real traumas teens face. *** Indigenous and Black teens *** Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people *** If you’re not ready that’s okay *** find healing in Lou’s story *** RED: Winter isn’t colorless . . . impossible buds on trees *** We’re a sight. Three pickup trucks traveling down the highway, each with one of the Creamery’s picnic tables overhanging the tailgate. And me, in the lead . . . my best friend Florence laughing . . . we’re tough enough. *** We’re giggling over the song lyrics *** No one asks where Wyatt, my boyfriend, is this morning. *** Florence wipes paint from my face carefully. *** Survival is always in the back of our minds. *** We kissed forty-six times. *** You don’t have to like giving BJs for you to … just pretend. *** Sometimes, life gets super clear. *** These days I hate lying to my family. *** Mom walks toward the fridge, but she stops to run her hand through my hair. *** A crow in one of the trees caws down at us. *** Like he didn’t call me his Native girlfriend . . . Why do you have to point out he’s Black? *** Wyatt, he shrugs. *** Why can’t he just be a man of mystery? *** It doesn’t bother me, King says staring at me, Black isn’t a bad word, Lou. *** Our customers, mostly teens, begin to dance. *** Calgary has a grad program I like though. *** It was always easier talking to people like this man when I was pretending to be white. *** ORANGE: The least popular flavor of ice cream, but one of the most popular sorbets. *** Today I unbraid my hair to wash it. *** I’m going to have to learn to swim in these new waters. *** It’s for the best, her being gone. *** Blue ink bleeds across the page like a wound. *** YELLOW: Dandelion wine or golden currant . . . All life exists on a spectrum, after all. *** Keesha kee taen *** I’m pushing to free myself of the mess *** He’s not himself, swimming in rough waters – in shock. *** By the time the tear at my hairline is stitched, I am all woozy. King helps me *** Sweat gathers on my upper lip. *** But secrets can burn down friendships too. *** What was he driving, do you remember? *** I can’t stop thinking about the fire and what will happen when he learns I caused him that pain too. *** GREEN: typically oregano. It’s spicy, for people who like things both hot and cold. *** We own a lot of people a lot of money. *** A firefly picks up outside. We watch it buzz and glow *** This part of me works but every time I try to imagine doing it with someone – with King – I tense up. *** Her long red hair is in a high ponytail *** BLUE: usually wild blueberries. It’s rarity that makes true blues special. *** It’s quiet in this house. My mom’s off-key singing to pop songs is missing. *** Today’s tee is bubble-gum pink and says, There is no Planet B. *** Lou, look. I asked you out and you basically ran. I get it. *** In this town I’m too Black – hell, on the prairies I’m too Black – but in my ma’s hood, at Westview in my classes, in my friends’ eyes, I’m not always Black enough. *** When I moved to Toronto, I had to learn to live in a place that is not all white space. *** BLUE: Borage flowers and honey make a delicious sorbet. *** Dear Daughter, Eighteen years of patience is something you cannot fully understand. I am not a patient man any longer – not after my time in the cage. *** The choice is yours – be my fierce warrior girl. *** When I make it back to the barn, to read the letter again, to memorize it, maybe do exactly what Florence suggested and burn it – the letter is gone. *** INDIGO: Saskatoon berries should be on every commercial ice-cream company’s rotation. To start a Michif/Metis Indigo, first you’ll make a classic jam . . . so it forms ribbons of flavor. As always, trust yourself. Try things. See what works. *** The tornado has me all out of sorts. *** She was drunk, Lou. *** He’s teaching me Toronto slang. I’m teaching him Dublin slang. *** Ty, I tried the tough-Native-chick thing with you for almost a year. It didn’t fit. *** The flies would prefer to land on or warm bodies, their little legs tickling us. Off in the trees, a crow watches us with interest. *** I take a break to scroll my mom’s Instagram. *** Text her. *** I’m more worried about you than if it was a bougie art museum like MOMA. *** Intrusive thoughts *** VIOLET: Fresh chokecherries are poisonous. Use this newfound power at your discretion. *** My mind stalls here, betraying me. *** We’re moving slowly, like goldfish in a tiny tank. *** I tongue the roof of my mouth and even that small pain doesn’t hurt as much as it feels exactly like living. *** VIOLET: At the far spectrum of the rainbow, we expect the most saturation. If you’re violet, you’re a violet. *** I turn my phone off. Something I never do. *** Clothing, deodorant, a few books, the braid of sweetgrass I was gifted at graduation, and with my bag hung over my shoulder, and my tent tucked under my other arm, I leave this house. *** Canola is in the air. *** Hand to G-O-D, he nods, then whispers, one day, Lou, I want you to read all my stories. *** She’s outside my tent. *** THE YELLOWS: Like a good dandelion wine, friends are sunshine. *** 

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