Is it a permission slip? Is it an obligatory tip of the hat? A minor detour? Has it changed anything?

Alan Forseth, Kamloops ~~ April 13^th, 2019

I want to take a moment here and now to thank Green Party MLA Adam Olsen for offering, and providing, a fresh way to look at things.  I know what I first added him to the contributors to the blogsite, and number of my conservative friends thought I was off my rocker.  Truth to tell, I though maybe I was as well  😊

That said, and as I occasionally point out, the sub-heading of the blog header states ... “A discussion on political, economic and social issues in British Columbia, and Canada”

Green Party MLA Adam Olsen
Saanich North and Islands

Mr. Olsen helps to be a part in ensuring that happens; which was why an opinion piece he penned two days ago (April 11^th) caught my attention.  In the post he observed:

There is a growing movement of acknowledging the territory of Indigenous people. It has become a familiar opening to meetings and events run by government.

It is an important evolution in Canadian society. But we must continue to challenge the status quo and demand better. It is critical that we know why we do these things and the impact they have.

To be 100% honest, I have more and more, in recent times, be annoyed at hearing a few different variations of, “We wish to acknowledge we are here on the territory of the __ insert name of the First Nation __ people”

It has gotten to the point where in my head I say to myself .... here we go again.

That’s why I appreciate Adams quantifying things by saying ...  It is critical that we know why we do these things and the impact they have.

So, am I annoyed that we are acknowledging where we are?  The answer to that is an emphatic “NO”!

What I am now able to understand, after reading Adam’s words, is that the words really have no meaning if we choose to say the same thing over and over ... no attempt to make it personal to the occasion ... and that it’s simply a box we check off as being done before we move on to whatever the event is.

And bingo ... the MLA for Saanich North and the Islands hit the nail on the head for me:

“Acknowledging Indigenous people and territory is an important step forward in our society. But what does it mean? Is it a permission slip? Is it an obligatory tip of the hat, a minor detour just before we get back to the colonial business as usual? Has it changed anything?”

He then continued, “Well, it's an admission that our province and our country stand on a questionable foundation and that we are on a path to recovery. But what is the effect of mindlessly reciting a script? Does that undermine and erode the meaning of the words?”

If it is just mindlessly reciting a script, then yes indeed (at least in my opinion) it does undermine and erode the meaning of the words.

Adam states that he is a ... a community leader with a foot in two worlds ... and that ... people often ask my advice on territorial acknowledgements.

“I encourage them to speak from the heart, to reflect on the beautiful place and the powerful cultures that have endured the most challenging circumstances”, he tells them.

“I ask them to give themselves permission to stumble and make mistakes, to honour our past, and embrace positive, compassionate relationships with Indigenous people and communities.”

We should honour our past ... no matter what our ethnicity ... and we should also have a true and meaningful acknowledgement of the indigenous people wherever we live in the province of BC.

As Olsen states, “It is critical that we know why we do these things and the impact they have”.

So rather than a simple ... we acknowledge this event is happening on the territory of the _______ people ... let’s know why we are saying it, and let it be sincere and meaningful.

In concluding I would like to encourage you to read the full blog post from Adam Olsen which is entitled, “Acknowledging territory, words and actions”.