Keynote Presentation-Proposal for the Full Resolution of the Intergenerational, Hurt and Shame of Canada’s Residential Schools, Canadian National Residential School Conference, February 23, 2001, Edmonton, Alberta.
This is my response to what I called the Government of Canada's " Meat Chart Proposal" initially put on the table to resolve the physical and cultural genocide in the Government of Canada’s Church-Run Residential Schools.
The "Meat Chart" was presented at the Assembly of First Nation's (AFN) National Conference, "Is Reconcialtiom Possible" in Calgary. I was invited to attend by National Chief, Phil Fontaine.
At that point, the AFN had not yet agreed on what to do. But the Government And our Indigenous people, who worked and consulted for the Federal Government, with excellent salaries and consulting fees, had agreed on and supported the Meat Chart approach.
By the way, it is also important to realize, as well, that we do have many, many Indigenous relatives working for the Government of Canada that are completely dedicated to uplifting Indigenous peoples and our rights. They are growing stronger, despite the challenges of working in a still very colonial system.
I believe, in time, they will prove to be our "Trojan Horse" as the Government of Canada desperately needs to be Indigenized. And there is clear evidence that this is what they are doing. Now, out of about a million or so Canadian Public Servants, more than 100,000 are Indigenous.
As my father always told me, " Son, it is difficult to negotiate with people who are giving you the money to negotiate, but it is possible, as long as you do not give your spiritual values and principles."
For example, the Canadian Government proposed, in open court, with a prosecutor, the victim of the abuse had to describe, in detail, every act of abuse you had endured. So, for example, if you had been sodomized, you had to describe, every time you were sodomized, in detail, followed by being cross-examined by the prosecutor.
You would be compensated for each act of sexual abuse you could prove, beyond a doubt, that happened to you. The only thing you could claim was gross physical and sexual abuse.
There was no compensation for emotional, cultural, or spiritual abuse, loss of language, etc.
I was Infuriated when I witnessed this "meat chart" presented by Denis Coderre, Federal Minister of the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution, supported and presented by some of our own Indigenous leaders, who worked for the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution.
After Minister Coderre spoke for 5-10 minutes, he arrogantly walked out of Conference, dismissing a very beloved elder's question, with the flippant answer of " I do not have time, I have an important meeting, ask my Deputy Minister." and then walked out like he was God's Gift to the World. This only increased my anger. By now, I was cold and white-hot!
When I first came into the Conference, about 5 minutes late, on the second day, I purposefully sat in the front row by myself, so I would be in a position to ask the first questions. I had just flown into Calgary from facilitating a Residential Healing Ceremony in Eskasoni First Nation, Nova Scotia.
Up to that point in the Conference, everything was very "British" in conduct. No one was saying anything that would disturb anyone. It was all nice and certainly was going just the way the Government wanted it to go. It was like an English Tea Party.
After seven days of hearing the stories of every form of abuse shared by more than 120 Mi'kmaq residential school survivors, relatives during a seven-day Healing Gathering in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, I was emotionally raw and angry.
My anger and rage grew with the BS I was hearing, but I did not feel overwhelmed. Instead, I felt very deliberate and pinpoint-focused.
Ater Minister Coderre arrogantly walked out after giving his short talk, and the question period started. In a flash, I was at the microphone to ask Minister Corderre's Deputy Minister, a Lawyer, who the Minister said would answer any questions. So I asked two questions!
"Mr. Deputy Minister, did you not state that you were saddened that the Canadian Public did not know what happened in Canada's Residential Schools, because if they did, it would be much easier to bring this issue to a political resolution. But sadly, you said that the Canadian public does not know or understand, so this is the best political solution we have."
"Is that true, Deputy Minister?"
The Deputy Minister was speechless, so I went to my next question, "
"And Deputy Minister did you not just state that, that the reason these cases were only limited to gross sexual and physical abuse because there was no legal precedent to address emotional, cultural, and spiritual abuse, loss of language, lack of education, and intergenerational-trauma. Is that not true, Deputy Minister?"
“Yes, that is true!” said the Deputy Minister.
“Then tell me why Mr. Deputy Minister, the Canadian Government can make new laws regarding the Internet, and you have no legal way of addressing the cultural genocide of more than 150,000 Indigenous children inflicted by the Government of Canada and the Churches who worked for you and carried out your policies?”
"Tell me why? "
"Tell me why Mr. Deputy Minister?"
With each question, my voice became louder and more penetrating.
The Deputy Minister just stood there speechless. Then, finally, the Deputy Minister said, “ If you would stop yelling at me, I would!”
Then I dropped my voice to almost a whisper, but all could still hear, “ Tell me why, Mr. Deputy Minister, tell me why?”
The Deputy Minister was very flustered, mumbled a few words, and said,” Ah, ah, ask the Minister.”
I laughed and said, “ The Minister just left without answering any questions and said to ask you any question we may have. "
I then smiled and stepped away for the next speaker, AFN Lawyer Ken Young, was stirred up and let the Government and thier Meat Chart Proposal have it with both barrels. Beginning with Ken, and all who followed Ken completely rejected the Meat Chart Proposal.
Although no amount of money could ever compensate those that suffered sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and other shaming and demeaning abuse of Grandparents and Parents of the 7th Generation, received almost all of the Proposal for the Full Resolution of the Intergenerational Hurt and Shame of Canada’s Residential Schools was eventually accepted.
It was a long fight, with arrows and bullets coming at you from every direction, and I did not stand by and take it, especially when I was younger. When I was younger, I would sometimes respond with anger and not be afraid to let people know where I stood directly, sometimes in unloving terms, from my own intergenerational trauma.
The toughest attacks are untruthful backbiting and gossip, slander fueled by jealousy and racism. However, I deeply respect relatives who share thier perspectives directly, so they may hopefully be resolved.
But, as my father always told me, "Son, you can not be a good leader of warriors until you have been in the front of the fiercest battle and received the deepest wounds!" But at the time, it was excruciating.
At 77 winters, I now understand my father's wisdom, and I am beginning to give thanksgiving for all that I have experience in my short life, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
My heartfelt thanksgiving to our Beloved Creator and all those many relatives, both in the physical and spiritual worlds, for their love, support, and dedication to resolving and healing all the intergenerational trauma and lateral violence our relatives suffered and endured in Indian Residental Schools across Canada and the US, including my mother and father.
In fact, I was born in Haskell Indian School, in Lawrence, Kansas, where my parents had met 10 years before for the first two years of my life, with my mother, my oldest Aunt, and Grandmother. My father was in the military, as it was during the time of WW 2. So, as the only baby, on campus, along with my mother, aunt, and grandmother, I know I was surrounded with great love.
I now understand my father's wisdom, and I am beginning to give thanksgiving for all that I have experience in my short life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, with arrows and bullets, sometimes, coming at you from every direction.
As well, a lot of this is from our ego being hurt. And sometimes, we deserve it, from our own unspiritual behavior but nd action.
The Red Road is a Good Road, but sometimes it is a very tough, hard, and challenging road.
"Do you think you say you believe, and will not be tested?"