TILT # 42 - Don't pretend you're not mucked up when you are

Well, it's one hour past July 1st. This is the first year since becoming a citizen that I was not rah-rah-ing, pumped up full of pride and gratitude, with my red and white gear all day long.

The news of finding hundreds and hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children who attended Canadian residential schools has been heartbreaking, and sometimes numbing. That these schools were run by churches (both capital "C" and little "c") burns me up with shame. How can any Christ-follower have such a twisted way of displaying love for one's neighbour?

I hope we, sitting in churches now feel enough responsibility that we begin talking about this openly and intentionally seek to understand, ask for forgiveness, and actually make amends for the atrocities the generations before us engaged in. Sadly, I've had the misfortune of hearing very ignorant remarks from people in my circle about Indigenous topics, all based on outdated pieces of hearsay. Sadly, these people are too bloody lazy to do their own homework to check their own ignorant assumptions and prefer to keep believing the lies they've heard.

And then, there are some people who bring optimism to the extreme where there is not even an acknowledgement of the suffering of thousands of Indigenous families over generations. Just a quick "Yes, and ...bla bla bla..." No sitting with the awkwardness or shame or guilt that wrongs have been committed, in the name of God, for heaven's sake! No pausing in collective grief for survivors of these residential schools, for their families...

As a teacher who led a philanthropic club at school, I taught my students about "slacktivism" (slacker + activism). The Cambridge dictionary defines slacktivism as: "activity that uses the internet to support political or social causes in a way that does not need much effort, for example, creating or signing online petitions". While tears & regrets or love & prayers are good, they are simply the first steps to making our world a better place for all humans, not just some humans. For meaningful, long-lasting change, action needs to accompany words.

Action, as we all know, requires some sort of sacrifice. Roll up your sleeves and get dirty. Take out your checkbook and make a donation. Give up your time and learn something new. Make a dent in your ignorance.

My action leading up to this Canada Day was the latter. I signed up for this "Indigenous Canada" course out of University of Alberta. I need to move from what I don't know to what I must know. I started my first week's homework on Canada Day, a symbolic gesture that I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem. After only the first week of work, I feel my brain and my heart have been stretched. I still feel I'm sitting in the muck I inherited from previous settlers but that's part of the journey of living and learning with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I now understand that my home has been built on unceded Indigenous lands. I am located in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which I live and breathe. Today, Tiohtià:ke is home to a diverse population including Indigenous folks and immigrant me. I hope to do a better job at building connections with Indigenous and other communities in this city.