Is it a permission slip? Is it an obligatory tip of the hat? A minor detour? Has it changed anything?
Alan
Forseth, Kamloops ~~ April 13th, 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”
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 11th) 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.
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.
Well said, Alan. Doing the right thing can sometimes be a difficult path to discern. But it starts with the heart and reason follows. Glad to see Adam on board. Good ideas come from all perspectives.
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