#mi'kmaq child

[therealvikingstrash]

Mi'kmaq and joy - in honor of Indigenous Peoples Month in Canada

[hotgirlmuseboardxo]

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my links: astrology/tarot blog | creative portfolio | paypal | instagram | of | pinterest | spotify

i can't be bothered to do paragraphs rn so summing myself up for you in bullet points this time lol:

before i am a Hot Girl on Tumblr.com i am a Mentally Ill Woman Who Doesn't Owe You Shit. please don't forget that <3

i have bipolar and adhd and psychic gifts 🔮

i make a living by writing for numerous pop culture/entertainment websites and reading people's birth charts/tarot cards/energy. a hippie dippie ass bitch, if u will <3

i have two sweet baby cats (they'll be five this year !!), astra and apollo

i studied journalism and fashion marketing after high school. ever since i was a little girl i knew i wanted to play dress up and look pretty for the rest of my life 💅🏼

i live on the west side of canada but my family is from out east on the island and randomly decided to raise me in yeehawville lmaooo. i've moved around a lot since i was 17 and i'm planning on relocating to toronto or wherever the good lord plants me in a few months 🫡

ethnically i'm a european mutt + indigenous (of mi'kmaq descent). i'm not quite bilingual but i've been studying french forever. i'm an only child. i'm the oldest soul i know. i'm a healer and a lover girl and an angel on earth and a being of light!!! and so much more

but also i'm just a girl so pls don't expect too much of me hehe

my frequently used tags are below :) xo

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[genericpuff]

It's Pride!

CW: Ranting about sexuality stuff, mentions of trauma

So I fall under a few different flavors of the alphabet soup that is LGBTQ+. I'm genderfluid, but more specifically, two-spirited, as a person hailing from Mi'kmaq soil. I'm bisexual but find myself veering more towards men than women most of the time, that's the beauty of the sexual orientation spectrum.

That said, there's one that I tend to focus on during Pride because unlike my gender identity or my dating preferences, I still find myself struggling with one in particular - asexuality.

While it was cathartic - albeit chaotic - to realize that I wasn't my assigned gender or that I was open to being with more than one gender, asexuality has always felt more like some confused self-diagnosis to me. I struggle to identify with it fully not because I don't feel confident in my own ability to identify myself, but because it always comes with that nagging voice in the back of my mind - "you could just be faking it."

Maybe it's 'just' the trauma I experienced as a child and I just need to go to therapy. Maybe it's 'just' some chemical imbalance and I just need to get on medication to balance me out. Maybe it's 'just' me still being in the body I was assigned and if I finally transition, I'll find myself enjoying the concept of sex more. Maybe it's 'just' me being autistic and ADHD and not being able to be interested in things long enough to want to have a regular sex life. After all, it's not like I'm completely anti-sex, I still find enjoyment in the erotic and I'm no stranger to my more 'adventurous' side.

But maybe I'm just looking for a deeper explanation to justify what it truly is - a lack of interest or attraction to something that I just don't need. Why did I chase it all those years ago? Was it the pressure of growing up? The compulsive urge to feel desired and wanted? The fear of rejection? Did I ever really enjoy it, or did I convince myself that I had to because it was what was expected of me?

I'm still not sure how to answer most of these questions. It gets easier, but at the same time, it also feels far more complicated than it should be when I know, deep down, it's not something that I care to worry about because it's not something I desire. If I really wanted to change this part of myself, if I truly believed it was just a medical problem that could be diagnosed and treated, then surely I'd take those steps.

But I don't. Because I don't want to.

And that's okay.

[punknicodiangelo]

Ayo it's PJO OC time so listen up!

Ages are as of the end of the Last Olympian

Picrew

Riley Allard

Child of Apollo

16

They/them, femme and neutral descriptors

Nonbinary, pansexual

Dies in the Battle of Half-Blood Hill

Great at music, bad at archery and medicine

The sweatest person ever, literally does not know how to be mean

Arrived at camp when 10, claimed when 13

From Boston, MA, USA

Marigold Davis

Daughter of Athena

16

She/they, any discriptors

Genderqueer and bisexual

Dies in the Battle of Manhatten

Adopted by an Afro-Indigenous (Mi'kmaq) woman

Autistic, special interest in the occult

Makes friends with everyone but is honest to the degree where not many want to get close

Thinks it's funny to convince people they're cursed

At camp since 11, claimed at 11

From St. James, NL, Canada

Keilani Moreno

Daughter of Aphrodite

17

She/her, femme descriptors

Cis girl and aroace

Went to university in Hawaii for biology

Raised by her lesbian aunts

Native Hawaii and Filipino

Hard of Hearing

Has charmspeak

Extremely sassy, makes up for Riley's lack of salt

Has a complicated relationship with siblings

At camp since 12, claimed at 13 (knew before)

From Lahaina, HA, USA

Wilhelm Fruedenberg

Son of Hecate

17

He/they, masc descriptors

Trans boy and striaght

Attends school in New York as an adult for linguistics

Adopted by Egyptian Magicians who were friends with his dad

Jewish

OCD

Knows the basics of Egyptian magic

The most normal demigod ever, very calm. Seems like they don't care, but if anyone is hurt he goes team mom

Makes magic HRT for campers

Arrived at camp with DJ

Been at camp since 13, claimed at 15

From Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria

DJ

Child of Dionysus

16

Any pronouns, any discriptors

Nonbinary lesbian

Stays at Camp Half-Blood to help train new campers perminantly

Raised by abusive mom and stepdad

Doesn't use a last name or their given names (I know what they are but I'm not saying)

Korean

Albino with visual imparments

Has BPD

Acts like they hate everyone, doesn't actually hate you unless you try hurting their friends

Arrived at camp with Wilhelm

At camp since 13, claimed at 13

From Munich, BY, Germany

@jasontoddssuper @insomniac-jay @honeypotsworld

[libraryofjoy]

Books I read in November 2023

The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker. Fiction. The six Chapel sisters are cursed to die after they get married. This is a book about women who are not believed. The writing style is really fun, which kept me going through a plot where the main character spend almost the entire book grieving and terrified. Content warnings: sexual assault, mental illness, suicide.

Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name by David M. Buerge. Nonfiction. This book gave a lot of detail that I didn't get in my rushed little Washington State History high school class. Buerge sifts through misquoted and exaggerated accounts of Chief Seattle in an attempt to give a well-rounded portrayal of a remarkable man with a complicated legacy.

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge. Fiction. A cryptozoologist writes about the mysterious beings, described as beasts, who live among the people of the fictional city of Yong'an. This is a very dingey-bar-and-cigarettes kind of narrative. Sometimes colorful and exciting, sometimes violent and dystopian. Content warning: medical malpractice, mass killing, gore.

LaRose by Louise Erdrich. Fiction. After he accidentally shoots his neighbor's son while hunting, an Indigenous man and his wife decide to give the neighbors their own son as an act of atonement. This book deals with really intense subject matter, so I was surprised with how gently it ends. Content warnings: child death, domestic violence, sexual assault, drug abuse, residential schools.

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Nonfiction. This book really brings you face to face with the gratuitous anti-Indigenous violence which has marked US history.

Woodwalker by Emily B. Martin. Fiction. A politically-significant life-changing field trip through the woods. This book reminded me a lot of The Thief, which makes sense because Emily B. Martin has done some wonderful illustrations for the Queen's Thief series. I was really glad to find an audiobook of this!

The Seamstress of Sardinia by Bianca Pitzorno. Fiction. A young girl learns to sew and to navigate her place in 19th-century Italian society as she comes of age. The narrator's seamstress job gives her a glimpse into the private lives of the richest and poorest of society. Content warning: sexual assault.

What Do You Want Out of Life? by Valerie Tiberius. This is sort of a philosophical self-help book that focuses on identifying your values and prioritizing the ones that matter most to you. Not my preferred reading but it wasn't too long and the advice was sensible.

Joan of Arc by Helen Castor. This book focuses on the political landscapes of France and England under which Joan of Arc fought. Castor detangles some of the enmeshed religion and power struggle to unpack how the same young woman could so easily be a heroine saint or a heretic, depending on who had the power to shape the narrative. Underlying all of it, Joan the Maiden stands out as a brave, imperfect but devout person who lived and died for her convictions.

Fragmented by Ilana Yurkiewicz, MD. A doctor shares her own experiences to illustrate systemic problems with the American healthcare system which fragment communication at the expense of patients' wellbeing.

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. A four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl goes missing as her family work in Maine blueberry field. The book is narrated by Ruthie (renamed Norma) and her brother Joe as they grow up and process the trauma of their separation. My mom grew up in Maine and is about the same age as Ruthie, so this book's setting felt very familiar. I think it would be really interesting to compare this book with LaRose, which has similar themes. Content warning: infertility, pregnancy loss, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, cancer.

Fiction:6

Nonfiction:5

Total fiction this year:46

Total nonfiction this year:47

Total books this year: 93

I ended up really enjoying a lot of the books I read in November. I'm also pretty close to reaching 100 books for the year, so I'm going to make that my goal!

[imaginarianhaven]

A safe space for our& age/pet regressors, system littles & system middles to simply be. While they& do post on our& main blog ( l*d*i*********m ), they& will for the most part post here. • Chronological big age is 23; little age is approximately 4-8; middle age is approximately 14-17. • Bodily Mixed White & Native ( Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Abenaki, Métis & Huron-Wendat ) / Indigenous & West Asian ( Ashkenazi Jewish ). • Two Spirit, Genderfluid, Trans/Nonbinary & Intersex. • Disabled & Neurodivergent. • Chimera Multigenic HC-DID System.

𝐁𝐘𝐅 . . .

• Non-agere/petre blogs are welcome here, as long as you are appropriate & are sfw, especially with our& littles, so don't tell them anything you wouldn't say to an actual child or a teenager. This space is closely monitored by caregivers & protectors of the Imaginarians Galaxy & we& will not hesitate to protect them.

• We& typically don't lose intelligence when regressing, our& thoughts may become childlike, however, we're& still aware & we're& physically bodily still adults. We& do have a system member who is a literal baby infant, though. Depending on how young our& regression is or how young a little is, we& may regress to a very young age or have a very young little who may need help with basic tasks. Most of our& littles know how to stand up for themselves as do our& middles but it's important to note that they're still children & teenagers respectively.

• EN/FR. Our& mother tongue is English mais j'ai& comprend et parlé français aussi même si je& suis un intermédiaire, mes& pronoms personnels sont il/elle/iel/ael/ellui, merci !! We're& also learning our& indigenous languages as well as Spanish/Español & Mandarin/官话 with a few other languages on the backburner ! We& use any pronouns but indigenous pronouns & plural pronouns (notably with an & next to a name or pronoun, it's not an absolute requirement but it's appreciated) are most preferred!

• Tonetags are not only preferred but highly encouraged, if not required most times!

• We& sometimes voluntarily regress for fun, as a form of escapism, coping or to recreate the childhood we& never had or the very least never remembered having, sometimes our& involuntary regression is in default mode where we& could be having a whole adult conversation & we're&, like, 4 in our& head but the overwhelmingly vast majority of the time, we& regress involuntarily to cope with stress, mental illness (notably c-ptsd, social anxiety, autism, adhd, bpd, etc.) and/or trauma. This isn't about using regression for sexual gratification and/or submission at all; this is for either voluntary regression or involuntary regression & for our& littles & middles. There are never any rules, age limits, gender restrictions or guidelines to what regression looks like, & not all of us& are happy go lucky. We've& been regressing for a long time without even realizing it & although we& don't have any specific community, we& enjoy the overall general community & are grateful for it.

• We're& a flip (for y'all who don't know what that means, that basically means someone who switches between a regressor & a caregiver) but are the vast majority of the time regressors. We're& currently looking for an online SFW, nonsexual caregiver that is outside of our& system for both myself& & some of my& littles should they want another caregiver which you can find the form here, as well as possible online agere friends (it doesn't necessarily have to be always limited to agere related stuff, we can also be friends when we're big); our& caregivers & protectors in our& system are not looking for littles outside of ourselves& to take care of.

• We& like both active & calm regression, playing outside when it's warm, potentially playing hide & seek, going to places like shopping trips, takeout food, the beach, & the carnival & cuddling with our& cats & dog, wrapping ourselves& up in a blanket, watching cartoons & movies, coloring, playing videogames & regressing in vrchat in agere specific maps like nurseries & the like; we& also have an agere avatar. We're& also very sleepy kiddos especially due to our& cfs so nappy naps are very important.

• We& may go nonverbal when tiny & one of our& littles cannot speak at all, but we& can communicate through writing, communication cards, AAC, sign language & emojis whenever on discord; we& also involuntarily often use babytalk but if you need a translation, you can always ask one of our& caregivers & we'll& do our& best to translate what's being said; voicecalls & videocalls with close friends only.

• Despite this being an agere/petre/system little/system middle blog, this blog isn't entirely 100% SFW in the sense that this blog may have horror related content due to some of our& littles & middles having exomemories of darker origins & darker sources, but anything potentially triggering will be tagged & this is overall the vast majority of the time a SFW space, it's just that we& want a place for all of our& littles & middles to feel like they can be themselves, even if it isn't considered entirely SFW or the typical agere aesthetic. May possibly add our& nonhumans here as well.

• This is a sideblog, therefore our& likes, follows, etc. will come from our& main blog.

• Absolutely no discourse, bigotry nor fakeclaiming of any kind is tolerated here, nor are any debates. This is our& personal space. Do not waste our& time.

𝐃𝐍𝐈 𝐈𝐅 . . .

Doubles, ABDL/DDLG/CGL/Ageplay/Transage/NSFW/Kink/18+/gore blogs, MIK (minors in kink), MAPs, anti-CGLRE, queerphobes, racists, bullies, meanies, blank blogs, abuse apologists, TERFs/SWERFs/radfems, transmeds, if you are/kin Ivan Glaziev ( unless canon divergent, but even then we& will still be greatly uncomfortable given the source material ), if you are/kin Daniel Monroe, if you are/kin Uranos Corsica.

[femaleganondorfdragmire]

Today is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada and that does not mean it's time for white people to sit back and do nothing but "reflect 🥺"

Yes, reflect, but reflect on how you can help indigenous people today. Every day.

Above I've pinned some resources other people have compiled. You can also:

-Support the land back movement.

-Research exactly who's land you're on. It's not enough to know that you're on Indigenous land, who's indigenous land are you on? I'm on mi'kmaq and wolastoqey land.

-Share any indigenous go-fund-me's and donation posts you see. Donate if you can but if even if you can't please reblog them. (Indigenous people, please feel free to add yours in the reblogs!)

-If your friends/family members say something racist, don't just sit there and let them! If you're in a position to do so, where it won't cause you danger, have those uncomfortable conversations.

Every child matters.

[anonymouslymoi]

My child,

I hope you know from the moment you're conceived how loved and wanted you are. You will be an answered prayer and the result of all the tears that have fallen and hope held on to by the edges. You will be born into a home of two moms who love each other and only want a safe, stable, healthy, and prosperous life for you. Your life will be blessed beyond measure. It will be the life neither of us had.

I will carry you and you will come from my womb. Part of you will be of me but the other part will be of a people not my own. I don't know what it's like to raise a child whose Indigenous blood flows strongly through them. However, you have a mother who will understand fully and will nuture that part of you. You will be the first of my line to not be born in exile. That it something I feel honoured to bring forth. You will carry two very heavy, & important cultures on your shoulders. While it may not always be easy, it is what makes you who you are. One day you will see that.

Though to take hold of the torch you have to understand where you come from. You're the child of two women who love one another yet the world still does not understand it. You are born of a people who were forced to assimilate to the American dream. You are here despite the homophobia. You are here despite the genocide. You are here despite the unspeakable acts of boarding schools. You are here despite the wounds of speaking another language. You are here despite the dances that were banned. You are here despite the shame of cultures that have been mocked and ridiculed yet continued on.

There will words that come from your lips in languages taught but not passed down to us. Speak it. Don't ever let yourself be silenced.

You will walk along the bayous and enter into buildings built by your grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather. Your name is known on street signs and the creation of a beautiful city. You will know of Beausoleil and the Mi'kmaq - heroes in our story. Take pride in it.

You will find yourself in the land of your ancestors. Stories your mother has told you from your crib now being seen through your own eyes. Take it in and hold it deep in your soul.

Your life is like a dance. The steps will come to you in the right time. Just make sure you are listening.

I will dance with you to a two-step. Kicking up dust as the clang of the triangle keeps us in rhythm as those who have come before us.

Your mother will dance with you at Pow Wow. A moment connecting just the two of you that no one else will understand or take from you.

You'll hear an accordian and fiddle and you'll feel your ancestors.

You'll hear the beat of the drum and feel your ancestors.

I will teach you your Acadian history as your feet touch the Vermillion River. Your mother will sing to you in Cherokee as you make your first batch of fry bread.

Your life will be different but so beautiful. I can only hope you realize it early on. There will be moments I can't protect you from. You will not be able to escape the ignorant words, pre-conceived notions, and prejudices. You'll be frustrated because Ducharme is not easy for everyone to pronounce. You will have to explain again and again that Nofire is said exactly as it's spelled. But you will reminded of who you are and where you come from daily. Your name, cultures and heritage is who you are. You will be accepted for your true self. Your dreams will be supported. You will keep your head high. You will come to a place of pride because of your unique life. Go forth and live fully, taking your ancestors with you. As you're living, remember, from the moment your mother and I became one, you were loved.

[atlanticcanada]

Treaty Day celebrations scheduled for Halifax postponed due to Fiona

Halifax's Treaty Day celebration scheduled for Oct. 3 will be postponed due to continuing impacts of post-tropical storm Fiona.

In a news release Wednesday, the Nova Scotia government says the decision was made between the province, Mi’kmaq Grand Council, Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs and the Treaty Day Committee.

"We understand that many are still without power and do not have access to basic needs yet. Right now, it is more important to make sure that everyone is safe and secure before we come together in celebration," said Grand Chief Norman Sylliboy with the Mi'kmaq Grand Council.

Treaty Day is on Oct. 1 in Nova Scotia and marks the start of the Mi’kmaq History Month.

"The treaty relationship is important to all Nova Scotians and we will gather together and celebrate Treaty Day at a later date when it’s safe to do so," said Minister of L'nu Affairs Karla MacFarlane. "At this time, our shared focus is on supporting people and communities affected by the hurricane."

Truth and Reconciliation week in Canada is between Sept. 26 and Sept. 30.

Nova Scotia will recognize Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30 as planned. On that day, provincial government offices, public school and regulated child care will be closed.

Sept. 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which public schools in the province will recognize on Thursday.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/EH0hpJO

[bagpipes-or-bust]

Msit Mijau’ji’j Kesite’tasit - Every Child is Cherished

Donate:

https://www.irsss.ca/

https://fncaringsociety.com/welcome

Education:

A Shubenacadie Residential School Survivor’s Story

Background Information on Shubenacadie RS

Child welfare and Indigenous Children

Flag designed by Paulina Rae with consultation from Rebecca Cope, Jane Meader, Raven Algwimu, and Barbara Low

[omgthatdress]

Child's Ensemble

Mi'kmaq, 1845-1855

The McCord Museum

#CancelCanadaDay

In memory of the victims of residential schools.

[fruitdragon]

No one knows enough about the Belle Marie de Porte La-Joie which is a shame because it is wild.

It's a PEI folktale and ghost story

- So La Belle Marie in Question was the daughter of a women simply called Madame Granville, Marie's father was either a Pirate and/or practicioner of 'dark Magic's I want to say both because that's cool as hell

- Before the story even begins (about 100 years earlier) you need to know that the river a tribe of Mi'kmaq (the indigenous people of PEI) had a settlement on has evil river spirit who the daughter of the Chief sacrificed her life to stop about a hundred years earlier

- Chiefs daughters spirit might have been stuck in a magic glowy rock with healing powers

- Okay back to the story.

- So Marie and her Mother settled in with a group of Mi'kmaq people and adapted to their ways

- There was some prejudice about Marie's lack of father and the stories about him, but less than there was in the French Settlers in the area

- Anyways Marie fell in love with Kaktoogwasees, the son of the Chief and they announced their engagement in fall

- People didn't like that he was marrying a mysterious 'Pale Face' but he didn't care

- In the Spring Marie and her Mother set out in a Canoe to get an appropriate dowry for Marie.

- Their Canoe floated back without them in it so a search part was sent out. They were found on the banks of the river

- Madame Granville was dead from drowning and had been scalped, so belief was that it was done on purpose.

- Marie showed signs of life so she was brought back to be healed, either by regular means or by use of the cool magic rock mentioned earlier

- She fully recovered and they were married that Summer

- But right after they had seen their vows, as they were exiting the arch and the celebration began, Marie through herself at her husband and tore an arrow from his chest

- He'd been shot on their wedding day, most probably by someone in his tribe who don't approve of his marriage to Marie

- He bled out in her arms and she started to wail and sing

- She exiled herself from her husband's tribe as a widow on her wedding day

- The French Settlers, Acadians, didn't know what to do with her as she was strange, and sang strange songs, and was said to curse people

- The Fishermen thought she was good luck though and several of their wives got jealous

- Soon enough she was being a accused of Witchcraft and enchanting men

- She was found guilty and sentenced to be burnt at the stake at what is now Rocky Point

- Note: Rocky point is glorious with deep cliff faces and jagged rocks, and beautiful waves

- The night before she was set to be burnt, a young man was sent to guard her. She sang plaintive song and pled wildly until he spoke to her

- She asked for him to release her, they could run away and retrieve her father's treasure (which isn't mentioned untill this point??!)

- The guard was almost swayed by her words but he remembers the stories of her ability to enchant men and turns away, And La Belle Marie starts singing again

- She sings on the pire and as she burnt and the young men, who was set to guard her, wandered far and wide. Trying to escape Marie's singing which he heard untill his death.

- If you go out to Rocky Point and listen carefully, you can still hear La Belle Marie's singing flowing over the waves.

- Okay story done. Other Notes: Later additions by the Scottish inhabitants of the Island said that she was a changeling and a fae child. Only know Witch Burning on PEI and we are not sure it really happened because we only have legends.

- No one talks about how Haunted PEI is which is weird since it's one of the most interesting things

- La Belle Marie can also translate into "The Beautiful Bride"

- She might have wandered around the Acadian Settlement in her wedding dress weeping?

- I can only find 2 sources for Magic rock and it might be later added flavour text, Port La-Joie definitely has some evil spirits though

[tepkunset]

Hi Lydia! I hope you're doing well ~♥! I wanted to ask if you'd accept to explain what traditional Mi'kmaq naming conventions are? Like who gets to decide the name of a child or if you can inherit the name of only specific family member for example? And if you have resources or examples of names in L'nui'sin? I hope it's ok to ask. I'm curious about indigenous cultures worldwide but it's often hard to find reliable/first-hand sources about specific topics. Thank you a hundredfold! Take care!

Well, traditionally speaking in present day, like 90% of us have Catholic names. Even families who aren’t practicing Catholics still often use Catholic names.  Sometimes you’ll see (mostly in elders) the equivalent in L’nui’simk, i.e. So’sep (Joseph), Mali (Mary), Pol (Paul)…

Before colonization, my understanding at least is that people could easily go through more than one name in their lifetime, and names were reflective of a person’s identity. (In stories, this usually comes after major events or transformations.) A name could be a description of something or action, or it might be taken after a likened animal, plant, weather, object, etc. (For context, many inanimate objects were always considered just as alive as people). i.e. Jipjawej (Robin), Mimikej (Butterfly), Nepewisk (Moonlight)…  But, with the revitalization of the language, there are more parents who give their children these names today.

[mmitches]

The Inconvenient Indian

Professional Learning Goal 3: Improve my knowledge and practice of the role of Diversity/Inclusion with attention to: Mental health (self-regulation & wellbeing) Indigenous Perspectives  and Outdoor learning.

In the past few years I strive to be an ally. I listen to stories, reflect, discuss with others and share. King's “curious account” of colonialism, and the lived experiences of FNMI people is brutal, tragic and true. The way it is shared and told is so much more that the facts, history and present happenings. King tells a story, shares his reflections with his wife's voice/perspective too, using humour, and engaging story telling.

Thinking about Apologies: Country, people and political “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again” or “I’m sorry that happened, it wasn’t my fault”. Really as King discusses are empty (because it is still happening-see my comments below). I think about my discussion with colleagues around making a child say they are sorry for something that may have happening in the EY classroom. Pedagogically and personally I think this is wrong. I never force a child to apologize. Why? Because a forced apology has no meaning and/or context (like many government/political apologies) . When an apology is forced there is no process to understand, there is no reflection, discussion, listening to the feelings, thoughts and ideas of the other child. There is no connectedness or reciprocal relationships developed. 

Some conversations are happening and there is some learning Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada but ..

Thinking about the idea that colonialism is only in the past: King's analogy between malaria and colonialism is poignant; Just look up malaria!

"It's a remarkable disease (malaria). Like colonialism, it can lie dormant for years. And it can flare up at any moment" (p.118). 

I only have to think of 2020-the Mi'kmaq lobster dispute, the treatment of FMNI communities before and during the pandemic (housing, access to CLEAN water), missing and murdered women, the pipeline through Wetʼsuwetʼen territory, The Haudenosaunee peoples struggle to have their voices heard in the protection of traditional lands and the continued disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous Peoples.

Action: Continue my conversations, learning, reading and listening to stories. As part of my action and my journey to be an Ally

[allthecanadianpolitics]

It was an "inescapable conclusion" that genocide was committed against Canada's Indigenous peoples, said Marion Buller, the chief commissioner for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, during a Monday news conference.

That conclusion has been reverberating across the country since news first surfaced on Friday that the inquiry had determined that thousands of those women and girls were victims of a "Canadian genocide."

The final report said Canada, from its pre-colonial past to today, has aimed to "destroy Indigenous peoples."

"Canada has displayed a continuous policy, with shifting expressed motives but an ultimately steady intention, to destroy Indigenous peoples physically, biologically, and as social units, thereby fulfilling the required specific intent element," said a supplemental report.

The inquiry based this partly on the UN's 1948 definition of genocide. According to the UN, genocide is any of five acts committed with the "intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." The acts are:

Killing members of the group.

Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.

Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.

Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.

Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

"The Canadian state was founded on colonial genocidal policies that are inextricably linked to Canada's contemporary relationship with Indigenous peoples," said the supplementary report.

"Modern Canadian policies perpetuate these colonial legacies, and have resulted in clear patterns of violence and marginalization of Indigenous peoples, particularly women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual)."

The inquiry argues that the genocide continues through the over-apprehension of children in the child welfare system, the lack of police protection for Indigenous women and the continued existence of the Indian Act, first enacted in 1876.

"In addition to the premeditated killing of Indigenous peoples, there existed egregious colonial policies that caused serious bodily and mental harm to Indigenous peoples and deliberately inflicted conditions of life on Indigenous communities calculated to bring about their physical destruction," said the supplementary report.

The report cites as examples scalping bounties offered in Nova Scotia in the 1750s to reward the murder of the Mi'kmaq, the elimination of the Beothuk and policies in the 1870s to deny food to Indigenous people on the Prairies to clear the way for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The report then moves to the 1880s and the beginning of government-sanctioned residential schools where Indigenous children were forcibly taken to face "starvation, deliberate infection of diseases, beating, torture, rape, solitary confinement, assaults and ill-treatment."

"These historical policies are appalling in their systematic destruction of Indigenous communities, but what is more appalling is that many of these policies continue today under a different guise," it says.

Continue Reading.

[weareallmixedup]

recently i had an argument with my white mom regarding offensively-named sports teams, like the "washington r*dskins", and she thinks that native people who get offended by that are just butthurt. i tried informing her about the history of the slur but she brushed me off and said "okay, i guess i won't call you a r*dskin" because i'm mi'kmaq and i'm still so upset. why would anyone say that to their daughter?

That’s super foul and I’m sorry that your own parent said something like that to you. White people who have children of colour are so frustrating tbh because a good deal of the time, they think they can’t possibly be racist because they’ve had kids with a POC, they got a whole non-White child and such so obviously, racism is over

The kind of racism that lurks even in the most well-intentioned White people is so insidious because it’s so ingrained into popular thought and common culture that when it’s pointed out it seems to White folks and POC with internalized racism, that those pointing it out are being “oversensitive”

I wish there were an easy solution, but unfortunately, that pretty much comes with the territory for POC with White relatives. Depending on your relationship with your mom, it might be worth getting together some information on how colourblind rhetoric and microaggressions are really dangerous and racist--Coyote