For almost two decades, I have dedicated my career as a artist, public speaker, to try to tell our stories of what really happened to hundreds of thousands a first nation children in the last hundred years threwout north america. Not with anger or negative thoughts or pointing fingers…
What happened in the america`s, has also happened around the world, going back thousands of years threw to today. I am one of those children who were taken from my family and put into the welfare system as all my brothers and sisters were. And this happened the generations before me, as well.
Either we were put into what is called Residential Schools,run by the churches,or put into foster care of that time,into non-native families,inforced by law of our lands. I have to admit at the same time, many non-natives families tried thier best for our children. Within this process,many canadians were unaware or turned a blind eye to what was going on in this time peroid.
Family…was everything to first nation people,especialy the children and under the “Indian Act” in the early 1900`s,this process took place. Destroying the lives and families of many native communites throughout North America.Thousands died, suicide, illness, only lost numbers in memory today and about 40 years or so we have “woken up,from the bad dream”. Where our leadership (elders) said, “No more warriors, children, women/men, elders must die, so ended the plains wars.
We must stand up on our own two feet and heal our own people and families”. This was said by our elders… Threw political reasons of that time,we were divided up into groups,status,non-status and metis. Where the taking of children had no barriers. Many metis families told me how they got away, was by saying they were from Italy or some other nation. Remember everything that I am telling you are stories from the people,I can only talk about what happened to me from my own personal experiance.
The main point is,we all want to know the truth,not only for oursleves,our families,communities but most of all for our country,Canada,that is dear to our hearts! Here I am nearing 60 years of age and live not knowing who all my blood famly are or were,to this day…my own personal family ties are broken.
I have healed alot but still live with this….sence of loss. I love everyone but the family unit is broken for many of us.
Only threw education,documentaries/films,books,etc and political change,will the true healing begin…Most are unaware in our great nation,of the dark secrets,that are slowly coming to the surface. One of those is what is called the “A-list”…we are the only cutlure within Canada, where it is not legal for me and hundreds of thousands to get our papers,to see who and where we came from,where as every other canadian this is a given right! I only hope and pray, that before I leave this world, I get to see them,not only for my own personal reasons but for our children, grandchildren,great grandchildern and for the generations yet to be born. The churches, especialy the Catholic church (they ran most of the residential schools in Saskatchewan), where sexual abuse, mental abuse and physical and worse…happened.
Remember also this process happened over many generations! Another chapter will is connected to this,the role of the church…the reality and questions they MUST answer for…for decades the natives threwout Canada were screaming,trying to tell our stories,no one would listen to us,in the beginning,not till it started to appear that it happened to non-native(thier own kind)children too,in the east of Canada…
All over the “western world”, people are asking questions and many leaveing the church because of what has come out and coming out as we speak…sexual abuse and so on…I am not a christian but respect greatly the spiritual belief of the higher spirit and all belief systems. I have read both new and the old testiments and respect christanty,as is…God is Love, God is compassion, God is understanding, God is forgiveness, God is non-judgemental, thats what I understood of the teachings!
But not greed,power, lies to the people are no longer tolerated. We all have memories and remember that not so far in very recent history and most all the time in the far past; “God is on my side,to make war, on others, he is on our side…!!”
When I was little and a young man…some,I saw live this way, trying to be good human beings but far too many did not do as they said…! Just turn on your T.V. or read a newspaper,computors and see how corrupted,many our leaders, big banks, big business really are doing? Not all but far too many! The sex abuse scandle within the church not only the Catholic church is growing threwout here in Europe, sad, but true…
Do they not realize we(children of Mother Earth)are all not ignorant or stupid…? The “Golden Times” are here now, where native and non-natives are already beginning the healing process but so much more work has yet to be done.I love Canada…we all have to put away our personal differences and our leader ship on both sides…have to do the right thing. This will take many more decades to do,we all know it.
There are millions of beautifull people living on Turtle Island of all nations. We are all asking the same questions…Greed,power,ego,does not work in this day and age,no one can hide from truth… Look at the oil spill in the Mexcian Gulf, tar sands in Alberta…big money business/banks…billions/trillions of dollars lost…where,did it go? It is there for all to see.I am not a politican but I am politicaly aware…we all are…We natives have always known…it was always about the land,what was on top of it and underneath the ground…
The time for change,is now…
