When I think of the importance of understanding what is being honoured on September 30th in Canada, I have a mix of thoughts and emotions. It is complex. I am grateful that a day has been provided for all people in Canada to stop and reflect on the meaning and implications of this day.
As one of the Indigenous Peoples recognized in Canada, I have a complicated relationship with what this day means to me. I am Métis and within me lies two heritages that I have grappled to align and see the beauty that each creates in me. I have struggled to better understand what has seemed like a dichotomy. In my own process of learning and healing, I have come to see that my parts are much greater than their sum. They make me who I am and allow me to see the beauty of accepting the value of diversity in the human world and accept that each of us is on a journey of healing and learning. I am grateful to have this day as an opportunity to share Indigenous cultures in Canada, to recognize we are all one human family with diverse cultures that contribute to the beauty of the whole.
That said, there are things that I struggle with when considering the meaning of this day for me. My grandfather hid his Indigenous heritage for his family to have a better life than he did. He was sent to an Indigenous orphanage at the age of 6 years and “worked for the Father” there. He ran away, only to go back and try and rescue his sister. He lived in a ‘hospital’ for Indigenous Peoples for many years. He, like many other people, carried this pain throughout his life. In recognition of his sacrifices so I could have a better life, I committed to walk a path of healing for the next generation by first learning more about the truth of how Indigenous Peoples were treated.
For me, Phyllis Webstad’s Orange Shirt story and Namwayut: A Pathway to Reconciliation by Kwinkwinxwaligedze Wakas (Chief Robert Joseph) book about their experiences reflect the experiences of many Indigenous Peoples living in Canada. These stories remind me about the importance of love and acceptance, and how to hold space for healing. They, along with many other people on this path of healing, invite each of us to walk together. This is the first step in the process of healing. This path is one of transformation and change. As more people commit to walking their paths toward facing the truth and healing, there is more hope for justice and reconciliation. Where all voices are lifted in sharing this common chorus. It is a path on which we accompany one another through acceptance of the complexity of the human experience and love for one another.
This journey of decolonization begins with accepting the truth about Canada’s past. One way to do this is to learn and dialogue together in a manner that is safe and accepting. This could be done through including Indigenous voices or resources in our education and having honest and frank conversations where we are open to hearing other truths. One resource that can support this dialogue is the fact-based educational game, The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation by James Corbiere. It opens opportunities for dialogue in a way that is not about blame but learning about truth. We could also ensure that Indigenous voices are included in all aspects of education and raised in other spaces where they may have been excluded in the past. Healing lies in opening up to more opportunities to question our beliefs and dialogue with others to learn more about how healing can continue. It requires each of us to accept that we may not always be comfortable. Sometimes healing requires us to sit in the uncomfortable, as this is a place where change can happen.
When the bodies of innocent children were uncovered on the grounds of residential schools, people in Canada were made more aware of the need to continue to unearth the truth of how Indigenous Peoples were treated and to address past injustices. After the shock of uncovering the truth hidden beneath the ground of these schools passed, some people committed to being on a path of truth, healing, and decolonizing their thoughts and actions. I have hope that through the raising up of Indigenous voices sharing their truths and all people committing to learning more about the past treatment of Indigenous Peoples that true understanding and healing can happen. Committing to this path of healing is a gift to future generations.
This September 30th wear your orange shirt to symbolize your commitment to educate yourself about why it is orange and what it means to wear it on this day. To me, wearing an orange shirt is a symbol of recognizing Phyllis Webstad’s right to have worn her new orange shirt on her first day of school and not to have faced forced assimilation in a land her people had lived on from time immemorial. It is a symbol of my commitment to addressing past injustices and being on a path of decolonization and healing. It is a symbol of my recognizing how I need to be committed to change so that all are viewed as having value as we gather at the fire of unity. It is acknowledging that our diversity can be our strength. It is accepting this diversity can be like “music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord.”
