It’s been 14 years since the federal government’s apology to Indigenous people for residential schools. A decade ago, the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was published. This year, Ottawa finally stopped fighting to deny its blatant discrimination against Indigenous children in the social welfare system and agreed to a final settlement to compensate them and their families.
The school bus drives by with windows full of happy little faces, all going to school for the first time this fall. While it’s still officially summer, in the North the days are already getting shorter so technically it’s the start of fall, at least for the kids. For us older ones, who have either finished school or never went, it’s time for berry picking as it promises to be a bumper crop. As for me, it’s back to work.
It is the time of gatherings and festivals for my people across Turtle Island. Many Indigenous communities are making the most of summer after not being able to gather much since the Covid pandemic. There are powwows, traditional gatherings of all sorts, music and fun-time events and hundreds of non-Indigenous celebrations throughout Canada.
I have so much to say on the recent forest fires and how they’re a direct consequence of colonialism and imperialism, but I will spare you from another doomsday-flavoured column and pick something more lighthearted – aliens!
As we look to the skies and see a smoke-free environment, you know that summer is back but a little too late for us Northerners. This so-called climate change just can’t seem to make up its mind. Is it going to be good or bad for the environment? Who knows, you’d be better off reading a horoscope and using that instead of the weather.
The story that has captivated North America and the world around is the uneasy truth about Indigenous history and the relationship with the Canadian government, the church and the on-going efforts for reconciliation.
The Kahnawake Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow returned July 8-9 after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Powwows are a powerful gathering where multiple communities and generations of people come together to witness the pride of Indigenous dancers, drummers and singers. And this year it seemed that there were more dancers, more vendors, more drummers and certainly more people attending than I have ever seen in the past.
As the fires wreak havoc with our summer plans and ceaseless smoke clogs our nostrils, we know that at some point the forests will yield and the wood that fueled this natural catastrophe is spent and deposited into a huge carbon footprint. I guess Mother Nature has its way to save any residual energy it has in its biomass and expending it with formidable fury. As any Elder has tried to explain before, just stay safely out of its way and let the rejuvenation begin its beautiful cycle.
It takes people to make change for the better in our society. Happily, I have known many people over the past few decades who have devoted their energy to making life better for Indigenous people. One effort I have experienced really stands out.
As of July 5, there are still 100 or more forest fires burning in Quebec. Only 67 of them are in the SOFEU “intensive protection zone”, where all fires are fought at once. As a result, only three of them are considered out of control and are in the Chibougamau region.
