On Tuesday June 2nd, 2015, I had a chance to watch the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s summary report and recommendations with my 10 year old son who was taught at school that residential schools was something that had happened ‘in the past’. Despite this educational error, I was glad he was able to learn what was never available to me when I first arrived in Canada as an immigrant child. However, as a parent I realize there is still so much work to be done to educate this new generation about the legacy of colonialism. So, I started another conversation with him, one that will continue….
I hope that schools, workplaces and communities all across this country are having these important conversations so that we do not forget history and to take action as citizens. Part of this taking action is demanding accountability at all levels of government for the impacts of colonial policies that affect Aboriginal Peoples on a daily basis. Without having a national dialogue about this, it will be hard for our children to understand why residential schools have an impact today, and how we all have a role to play. Reconciliation is a process and it has only begun in Canada. Evidence of this is very apparent if we look at the proportion of Aboriginal children in care, or Aboriginal people in jail. Social innovation efforts will require us to not only question our assumptions and beliefs about Aboriginal people, but also to disrupt existing power structures and unjust resource systems. When Aboriginal people are supported in their own communities, in their own lands, we may have a chance of achieving equity, health and wellbeing for the future generations.
Today, on National Aboriginal Day, I was celebrating with friends and family at Trout Lake, unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. I was happy to see so many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families, of all ages, celebrating together.
Yet, I was also deeply saddened as I reflected how in my home country of Chile, people are shamed if they admit having Indigenous heritage. My own Indigenous ancestry was hidden to me, to all my family for many generations because of this shame. It was only when my mother had a rare genetic disease during her pregnancy with my brother did she discover that her grandmother Esther was Mapuche. The Mapuche people as other First Nations communities have the worst education, socio-economic, and health status statistics compared to the larger population. Yet, they are also resilient and have managed to restore their teachings and language. Today, many Mapuche communities are engaged in the Mapuche conflict over land and Indigenous rights in both Chile and Argentina.
Today, I was also sad to realize that colonization has also separated the north and south Indigenous Peoples, which share so much in terms of values, teachings, roots in language, culture, struggles and strengths. Yet, today’s songs and dance made me hopeful that one day the Mapuche people will be able look to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, in quite the same way as we now look at how strong and proud the Maori People stand today. Perhaps the day will come when Indigenous Peoples across the north and south of this continent will celebrate new laws, new policies and true reconciliation that brings all of us together, as one Peoples.
