Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
One encouraging thing I've noticed as a father is how much better my kids' education on indigenous people has been in elementary and middle school versus mine. I had no knowledge of residential schools until well into adulthood. I remember learning about first nations people and culture and it was all the 'noble savage' trope.
In the 80s and 90s we friggen listened and laughed to Brocket 99. I hope we wouldn't have found it funny had we known, A. We were being racist and B. Why first nations people have so many more challenges than your average white guy. I know my kids wouldn't laugh at that...they'd be horrified.
Once you have a generation that can appreciate why there are unique difficulties and challenges for first nations people you can begin to address them. I think there has been too much baked-in racism in Boomers, early Gen X and whoever it was older than Boomers (the greatest generation?) to meaningfully address the problems. Hopefully younger Gen Xers and Millennials can start to move things in the right direction for healing and atonement.
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I will agree with the first text that I high lighted. I am a boomer and many of my generation did the same things as your generation did...until we realized it was racist...and then we were horrified with our actions and changed our ways.
I don't agree with the second text that I high lighted. Every generation has had racists...but every generation has also been capable of changing their actions as well. Unfortunately, news always reports the extremes and those are the visions that linger.
However, one thing that is different with me is I grew up right next to a reservation. My Dad's farm backed onto the Piapot Reservation just north of Regina. We always had relations with the First Nations people from that reservations and I have nothing but fond memories of them...and it is also one of the reasons I don't hold back when I hear nasty remarks or insinuations about our First Nations people.
As a young child, my Dad and his family always went to all the social activities on the reserve... my Dad participated in their sports days and the like. We were invited to the weddings, anniversaries etc of those we were closest to and we reciprocated as well. In fact, my parents were the only "white people" at a Diamond Jubilee of their closest Native friends and were seated at the head table. The reservation sent representatives to my parents' funerals as well.
We employed First Nations people but were always fair. The Qu'Appelle Valley is really only suited for ranching and grazing. It has excellent grass for haying but most of the Natives never had machinery. My father provided the machinery, they provided the labor (for stacking bales and the like as there was not equipment that did that early on), and the bales were split 50/50.
I am from a family of 4 girls so in spring and fall, my Dad always required extra help. Sometimes he went to Regina and employed some German immigrants, at other times he employed Natives from the Reserve. In either case, they ate at our tables, they lived with us, and were included in our family.
I always like to think and say that my parents were ahead of their time and had big shoes to fill...but that is how you learn tolerance and acceptance, by example. That is the only way forward, for each and everyone of us to set an example of inclusion.