Sandi L Boucher examines how hierarchical systems in Canadian society fuel harm against Indigenous people. She argues that mainstream non-Indigenous systems fail Indigenous communities, and that the real problem isn't what you'd first assume.
Chapters
You don't have to go very far to find a speaker or an article or a video on the fact that mainstream non Indigenous systems do not work for Indigenous people. The justice system does not work for us. Mainstream education doesn't work for us. They never did. Because they're not our systems. They're not in line with our values. But there's another system that really doesn't work for us that actually helps support attacks and violence against us. And it's rarely talked about. We're going to talk about it today. So let's talk about it. Hi, everybody, it's Andy Boucher here once again. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, a proud member of Seine River First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory in Northern Ontario. And today we're talking about systems in Canada that totally don't work for us. Us as in Indigenous people. But I'm not talking about the education system today, even though I could probably do easily 20 videos on that and my opinions of why that isn't working. We're not talking about the health care system. We're not talking about the justice system, which would be another 20 videos. We're talking about a base structural system that continues the harm against Indigenous people. It facilitates it, it even inspires it. What am I talking about? Hierarchy. The fact that in non Indigenous cultures, many, I don't know all of them, but in Canadian non Indigenous culture, a hierarchy is alive and well. We're going to talk about that lowest brand new employee. We're going to talk about the CEO. We're going to talk about the student and the teacher and then administration. Everything is in this hierarchy. And Indigenous people, well, sometimes we're the lowest step on that ladder. Some people don't even think we're on the ladder that doesn't exist in our culture. We sit in circles together. And I was reminded of that this year when I actually had the opportunity to Visit Long Lake 58 Public School. And they do an amazing opening ceremony with the traditional drum and the singers for all of the students. 9am Monday morning before classes start. And from what I was told in the beginning, it was just one man who knew the teachings of the drum and knew the traditional songs. But over time, the young men began to join him around the drum. And when we were there, dancing happened, led by one of the kindergarten students. She just felt the need to dance and others joined her. It was absolutely amazing. But the reinforcement happened before the singing, when we were setting up the gymnasium for the students to come in and someone had commented well, did the teacher sit in the chair and the kids just sit on the floor? The silence that followed was noticed. We were informed that if the children sit on the floor, so do the teachers. If the teachers are in chairs, there better be enough chairs for the students. Why no one's above anyone else now 1. Amazingly beautiful and powerful teaching. 2 One that I absolutely agree with. 3. I love that the children are learning this. 4. It makes me nervous because when they graduate they they're going to go out into a system that doesn't appreciate or teach that. I'm a huge fan of teaching our kids coping skills not to change who they are. We don't do assimilation, but we need to implement some classes on how to survive non indigenous Canada and the judgment and hierarchy that so often is included in that. Now does that sound harsh to non indigenous people watching this? Maybe it's also true and there's way too many Indigenous dying for us to keep denying the truth. I hope that made sense. Think of how hierarchies play out in your world. Imagine how much better it would be if we all just sat in the circle together as an ishnabe Quay it makes sense to me. What do you think? Comment below. Don't forget to subscribe. I will see you tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye bye.
