A Warning for the Denied, Those Just Beginning Their Journey on the Red Road

Hi, everybody. Sandy Boucher here. Once again, I have to admit, I'm really enjoying this daily shooting of a video. For those who have, look at that hair standing straight up. Don't do that. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a while ago I shared with you that I used to do daily videos, that as soon as I had an idea of what my video was going to be about, I sat in front of my desk, I shot the video, I put it out to you. Then, of course, as the company grew and I got busier, then you start doing with a lot of influencers. Do video performers, do they batch the videos? They do like a week's worth of videos at once, Master them, schedule them, and out they go. And you know what? If that works for you, all the power to you. But to me, it started to feel automatic, mechanic, mechanical. It didn't feel authentic. It didn't feel like my heart to yours. I was scheduling rather than just thinking of you and sharing with you. So a while ago, maybe not even a month ago, I went back to shooting videos daily. And yes, you get them the day after I shoot them. But still, still to me it feels like it's that. More that return to an authentic message. And that's what I wanted to talk about today, because based on some discussions I had today, I mean, we've spent our time in these videos talking about pretend Ians and talking about Descendians. But I have a different message today, a message of guidance and support, some advice for the denied. So I'm not talking about the pretendians. I'm not talking about the people that have one indigenous person five generations ago and suddenly want to claim they're indigenous. I'm talking about the indigenous people who have always known they're indigenous, who have never been able to escape that thanks to the reactions of the people around them. But also the people that have never had the opportunity to learn about their culture, whether they were sixties scoop, whether they're a result of the foster care system for whatever, whether it was the shame and guilt that they inherited and that was ingrained into their family tree, whatever the reason. I am talking to the people that are just starting their journey on the Red Road, finding their way to our customs and teachings and traditions and ceremonies, because you're going to run into something and it might be super confusing, maybe even discouraging. Today, let's talk about it. Bonjour. Hi, everybody. My name is Sandy Boucher. 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 as I mentioned in the opening today, I really want to talk to the denied the people, the indigenous people who have been denied access to their culture and traditions and ceremonies for so many reasons. The people that have now decided, who found that interest and that courage and have decided to start their journey on the Red Road. Maybe you've learned how to smudge. Maybe you approached an elder and you found your spirit. Spirit name. Whatever the steps you've taken are, you're gonna run into people with different opinions and like, the last thing we want is elder shopping. And that refers to you. Just keep going from one elder to the another until you find the one that works for you or has the teachings that are convenient for you. Trust me, many of our teachings are not convenient, but they are powerful. But there is something to be said about an elder. You click with someone whose words and teachings resonate in your soul. But I said I had some advice for you, something that might happen that I really want you to be careful of. If there's one thing I know, without a doubt, Anishinaabe teachings, Ojibwe teachings, are empowering. When you learn of a teaching, it makes you feel better about yourself. It makes you feel stronger. It makes you feel pride, maybe in an area you've never felt it before. It does not make you feel bad. And that's the warning. That's what I need you to be aware of. Because we've spent a lot of time. I've done a lot of videos on decolonizing. Well, colonization has touched our teachings as well. The reality is our elders went through the residential school system and to varying extents, they were assimilated. And you can see that influence in our teachings. One of the flashing red light warning indications that a teaching has been colonized is if it's a black or white teaching, that there is only one way to do it, and if you do it any other way, it's wrong. That control is colonization. That is literally not our teaching. So, for example, a smudging ceremony uses our four sacred items, our four sacred medicines, sage, tobacco, cedar, and sweet grass. If you someone taught you how to smudge and you know the four medicines, but they adamantly told you that they must be added to the smudge in a certain order. And if you do it in any other order, you're wrong. I'm going out on a limb here and telling you to ignore that part of the teaching. Because what is important about smudging is the ceremony, the fact that the four medicines and what they bring to you are present in the smudge. It has absolutely nothing to do with what order you add them to the smudge bowl. So that's one example. Another example, and this is one of them that I saw, actually a comment on Facebook, and I highly, totally agree with this. There's been a teaching for many, many years. I've definitely come across it on the Powwow Trail and on the Red Road. The teaching that if you drink alcohol, if you use alcohol, that you must be alcohol free for a minimum of four days before you can touch or go near the sacred items. You can't go to powwow. You can't go to near the traditional drums. You can't touch your regalia, whatever the case may be. You can't use your sa. Sacred items to smudge if you've had alcohol. Again, I'm calling BS on that one because my elders believed that, and I've seen this happen, that a powwow is going on in the traditional drums. The sound is resonating out across the area, and someone who may be intoxicated is drawn to the drum. Something in their spirit says, this is a good thing. This is a person, you know, an indigenous person, that is hurting, that is lost. That is no doubt using alcohol to escape God knows what. But they're drawn to the drums. That is a good thing. That is a healing thing. And to turn them away is heartbreaking. Our teachings are not about judgment. Judgment came with colonization. Our teachings are all about discovering who you are, accepting who you are. You are different from every other person on the planet, and who you are is perfectly fine because that's creator, who creator made you to be. And because another human being doesn't understand your identity, that is their problem, not yours. Okay, so another one. The whole conversation around the ribbon skirts, for one. I'm 60 years old. I started on the powwow trail prob, mid-1990s. Yeah, I'm showing my age here. Ribbon skirts didn't even exist. Just putting that out there. We wore long skirts to ceremony, but it was any long skirt. So if someone's shaming you for not having a ribbon skirt, shame on them, because those things can be expensive. Or maybe you don't know how to sew and don't know how to make one. You shouldn't be shamed for that. But then there became this whole. And I will admit, for the longest time, I was on the side of, you have to wear a skirt if you're near the drums. And it's. There's a sacred teaching involved in that. Not something I feel comfortable sharing to the masses on YouTube, but there was a reason why. But then it got to the point where now, again, we're turning people away. We're turning women away who need healing because they're not wearing a skirt, right? Like, no hard pass. No, those are not our teachings. So what I need you to do, I want you to stay on the red road. I want you to learn everything about your culture, everything that you and probably your parents and grandparents were denied. And it's a long road. And take your time and ask your questions. Find the elder that welcomes your questions, even if you don't offer them tobacco first. By the way, there's another rule. But if you're in a situation where you're feeling shamed or you're in trouble because of something you did, then you seriously have to reconsider who you're walking with. One of the examples that comes to my mind, it makes me smile all the time. Anishinaabe people, we believe that when we're dancing at Powwow, anything we're carrying, we're actually offering to the spirits and the drums. So in some nations, it's totally different across the nations. In some nations, young moms dance carrying their babies. Like, I'm talking not even a toddler yet an infant and. Or even a young toddler, you know how they do half a song and then get tired, so mom picks them up. In some nations, that's totally allowed. In Anishinaabe land, that's not allowed, because you do not want to be offering your baby to the spirits and the drum. But what happens when that happens is a sight to see. And it's absolutely beautiful. If a young mom, you know, the little person, doesn't want to dance anymore and is crying and wants mom to pick them up, and mom picks them up. If she takes a step or two and it looks like she's going to continue dancing in the circle, I swear to God, it's like every kokum, every grandma from miles around comes over and just swarms around her. And as they're talking to her and sharing her, the teaching with her that she shouldn't dance carrying her baby to, they're slowly moving her off the dancing circle. They are not getting mad at her. They are not getting upset with her. They understand this is a woman that hasn't received the teaching yet. And they support and comfort her and her baby while they pass on the information she needs. That's Anishinaabe style teachings. So welcome to the Red Road. I think you're going to find it amazing. I have never regretted, and I still, still learn more teachings every single day. And every single one of them makes me stronger and prouder of being Anishinaabe Kwe. But if it isn't, then feel free to reach out to me. Or feel free to reach out to another Elder. Because this is not about condemnation and judgment. This is about healing. This is about finding our way back to who we were before the others came. Please feel free to share this video with whoever needs to hear it again. This is not for the Pretendians and Descendians. Stay in your lane. But for those who are finding their way back. You need this support. And you deserve the support. And I do hope you find it. Until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.