07/01/2021
This morning when I took the jewelry that was passed on from my biological mom to myself I couldn’t help but tear up a little bit. I put it on for the first time as an adult today. I have spent a majority of my life knowing about my heritage but never truly feeling the weight of it because of where God placed me growing up. I have been so beyond blessed to grow up in a good home full of love, I’ve been blessed to have opportunities that I know so many go without. All of this comes from my “white” upbringing. I feel a need to acknowledge that I am beyond blessed in this way.
As I reflect and mourn the loss of so many due to the injustices that have happened and that are still happening my heart breaks. It breaks my heart to think about the thousands of children that never got to go home. For the parents that never got to grow with their kids and pass on their culture. For the survivors that made it home but live with the trauma and consequences of other peoples action. For the missing and murdered indigenous women, for the communities that still go without clean water. For the ones who feel like they’ve been fighting their whole life to be heard. My heart breaks and I am so beyond sorry for the hurt that has been caused.
I want to challenge all of my friends and followers who are seeing all of this go on around them, and who are trying to figure out what they can do to support the indigenous community.
Wearing orange, changing your profile photo, not going to fireworks doesn’t do anything if it isn’t followed with action.
Allow space for mourning. Be respectful of those who are processing all that is going on.
Learn about what has really happened in Canada, talk about it and ask lots of questions.
Lastly if you want to honour the ones who didn’t make it home, support the ones who did.