First Nations have great expectations for the visit of Pope Francis to Canada July 24-29. Many want to see his apology last April to Indigenous leaders repeated with a little more meat on the bone. Back then, the Pope didn’t have the Church take responsibility for the actions of its priests, monks and nuns – actions repeated in every region of the country for more than a century with the knowledge of the Vatican – instead largely laying the blame on individuals.
Graduations symbolize a student’s completion of an important level of education. For my people, seeing the youth move up in their education justifies a major ceremony. My parents always looked forward to celebrating these accomplishments. I can remember seeing all our Elders from my parents' generation being so happy to witness the graduation of their youth every year.
Wow, a landmark decision has seen Canada sign a $20 billion compensation agreement on First Nations child welfare. Now why would they do that? In the past, their response has always seen large amounts of dollars going to lawyers fighting Indigenous claims rather than settling them.
National Indigenous Peoples Day took place June 21 while the month’s National Indigenous History Month in June is also a significant time for Indigenous people in Canada.
The clock clicked a minute passed midnight and, as if flipping a switch, the hot summer days were blown out by a mere five-minute decrease of our daily dose of sunlight. Yep, summer solstice ended and now the days will start getting shorter until they practically disappear in six months’ time. Why is it that when time is measured, there is never enough of it?
National Indigenous Day is past us and Nation Indigenous Month is ending. We’ve all heard the cries for Indigenous history to be taught in classrooms. One wonders what will be taught and how it will be presented. Candy-coated with a few dark spots would be most likely. How Canada got its name, how the Injuns helped the settlers, a few wars we helped one side or the other, the fur trade, and, of course, an apologetic reference to residential schools.
Only 43.5% of eligible voters showed up at polls during the recent provincial election in Ontario, making it the province’s lowest electoral turnout in history. That’s what often happens when parties don’t campaign for innovative social projects.
I’m rolling down the highway at the legal speed limit, fully aware that my gas-tank setting drops the faster I drive. These days, the price of gas is more than those in the far North, where high prices for everything are normal and if the price goes down, people go into economic shock. What? Gas prices have nearly doubled! What happened since the last lock down, did I miss anything? Well apparently, there’s is a war in Ukraine and the free world is doubling up all kinds of sanctions and blocking the Russian aggressor.
Chief Wayne Wabie called me this past week to share news that his community had officially been acknowledged as a First Nation by the Canadian government. This was a conversation of pure happiness, joy and relief.
