I wanted to do a nice don’t worry be happy blog today but that’s not happening I’m grieving along with many other Canadians and many indigenous people across the Canada over the tragic discovery of 215 bodies of innocent children in Kamloops BC at the residential school where they were forcefully taken to be “educated”. It was nothing more than a sham to deny their identity and take away their culture and heritage. Many sadly, were educated on cruelty, inhumanness, and pure evil.
This disgusting system took away more than culture and language. It took away pride, trust, innocence, self respect. It instilled huge doses of sadness, shame and guilt. It left families grieving. Grieving for children that were taken away. Grieving for children that never returned. It left people feeling powerless and devastated. Imagine having your child taken from your arms and never seeing them again. Imagine the abuses that many children endured over and over. They were mistreated and used as experiments. I am not exaggerating…go read some true history. Listen to stories from survivors. Listen with your heart not a closed mind.
It created generations of lost wisdom, lost knowledge, lost identity. It created generations of parents who didn’t know how to parent because they themselves didn’t know how to love themselves and others. It’s affects spanned generations, and it continues to do so because many are trapped in the negative affects of depression, addictions, low self worth. Thankfully there are many who through their own resilience and struggles have risen above this travesty. But there are still so many who suffer.
It’s time for people to wake up!
Pray! Pray… for these children, for their souls and spirits to finally have peace and to go home to their final resting place at some point where they can be honored and have proper burials with their own families.
Pray! Pray … for each family to know that they were not wrong to want to hold onto their children, their culture, and ways of life.
Pray! Pray… for generations of people who has been affected by the loss of their children, the loss of their culture, the denial of their own rights as human beings.
It’s time! Time… for people to stop turning a blind eye to what has happened. Open your eyes this isn’t a game, and it didn’t just happen at that school.
It’s happened all across Canada. It’s happened in different places in the world It’s still happening in some places… brutal torture, and disrespect for innocent children, complete disrespect for human lives.
This has to change! This has to end! We have been lied to throughout history. The wool has been pulled over our eyes. We’ve been dumbed down, turned our eyes away and tuned our ears from the truth, many have refused to see even when it’s right in front of our faces. Many of us knew it was true from our own life experiences. We are all at different stages of disbelief, denial and shock.
In fact, Many still believe the lies that this was not happening. There need to be more investigations. Not just in Kamloops! It happened in many residential schools; people have been trying to tell us for generations. The government must step up and we the people must tell them (the government) to cut the red tape and step up to following through with promises of investigations and reconciliation.
We can have our tears… we can cry…we can grieve…we can feel our shame BUT… we have to say no more to the lies! No more deceit! No more missing children! No more missing women! No more!
We have to rise up and say no more! Too many families have been affected. Too many people have had their self esteem crushed. They have been immersed in fear, anxiety, and depression. Their lives have been ruined for far too long.
Countless individuals have felt the frustration, experienced the pain of constant indignation simply by attempting to be themselves without repercussion or judgement. They have struggled with addictions, succumbed to numbing of emotions, feeling nothing but despair and pain. Due to lack of resources and limited support, many have fallen in the trap of no where to turn except to resort to addictions and suicide.
Many need to stop closing their eyes to the truth that’s been before us for a long time. Just because it didn’t fit the narrative of the lies, we’ve been told it didn’t mean it wasn’t true.
Where do we begin? Begin where you are…with an open mind, acceptance, and willingness to discover more. Begin by exploring from a place of empathy and compassion. Begin today!
Do some research look up information on truth and reconciliation of Canada
Check out the history of residential schools go and listen to some stories told by survivors or their descendants.
Read some books…read to your children. read some books to educate them on the true history of Canada. There are many resources available. (some suggested books for children are below)
Demand that our government does better!
Demand the truth!
Demand changes!
Do what you can! Do better! Do your part! We all need to do better!
Demand that our government acts! Contact your MPP’s.
Indigenous people need health support, mental wellness support, addiction services and start with the children and the youth but also include the adults. Many adults have been suffering for a long time and generations have been affected by this destruction of their spirit and culture. Many just need to finally feel heard!
I am a Metis citizen and can tell you without telling you my family history that many injustices have been done in the past and it is time to right these wrongs.
It’s time for everybody to do better! Do your part because humanity is truly at stake. Step up to the plate! Time to play ball and know that the ball is in your court…It’s in your hands!
Time to show more kindness, empathy, some compassion, respect!
Know that together we all can make a difference and we need to rise to the occasion presented before us and make our world a better place. The time is now, and the best is yet to come if we finally get that …together we are better!
How will you help?
What changes will you make?
What steps will you take?
Call for a National Day of Mourning for the Lost Children of Residential School… sign and share the petition
@Photo credit Sheena L. Smith at Shingwauk Hall – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Books to read to your children….
