A short spoken-word video/transcript by Sandi L Boucher (Red Thunderbolt, Seine River First Nation) reflecting on mistakes, accountability, and self-forgiveness. She emphasizes that acknowledging and apologizing for harm does not require self-condemnation; instead one should change behavior and learn from errors, particularly within the context of reconciliation between Indigenous and non‑Indigenous peoples in Canada. The piece closes with a call to action for personal growth and for Canada to listen and act.
Chapters
I didn't even realize it when I sat down to write these blog posts. And of course I did it over several days, so maybe that's why I didn't notice. But obviously this week has a lot to do with powerful quotes. I have one more quote for you today. Finish off this week in a powerful way and I can't think of one person who doesn't need to hear it. Indigenous or not, let's talk about it. Foreign. 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 today I have a question for you. Put up your hand or send me a message. If you've never made a mistake, if you've never done anything wrong, if you've never hurt someone with your actions, even if you didn't intend to, I'll wait. Maybe that was a bad idea. YouTube algorithm is not going to like me if no one's commenting on my video. The point is, we all have. We all have done things. We've made mistakes. We. We, you know, was thinking of ourselves and not the ramific on the people in our world. We have hurt loved ones. And I can totally own that. I have done all of the above. No excuses, no minimizations, no rationalizations. I have hurt people through my actions. I have taken actions I shouldn't have taken. I have said things I shouldn't have said. And sometimes I was speaking when I should have just been silent. And this week I came across a quote that once again knocked me on my butt. Maybe that's why my butt is bigger than it should be. I keep getting knocked on my butt. The quote, I'm going to look at it to make sure I get the words right. I don't have to diminish who I am to address my behaviors. I don't have to diminish who I am to address my behaviors. So you done something wrong. That doesn't mean you have to call yourself nasty names. You made a mistake. Doesn't mean you're less than. Doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you human. Now, of course, I work in the realm of reconciliation. So it's not just about owning what you did. It's not just about apologizing for what you did. Canada, are you listening? It's about changing your behavior, learning from it, and doing better in the future. That is a hundred percent my focus. Whether it's being a better business person, a better facilitator, and speaker. A better mom, a better grandma, a better boss, a better friend, a better partner. I can't change the past and. And beating myself up for it does nothing. It hurts me, which doesn't help the people I've hurt, and it definitely doesn't help them. So remember, you don't have to diminish yourself to take responsibility for your behaviors. I want you to acknowledge those behaviors. I want you to apologize. And more, I want you to change those behaviors because you have learned and grown. But at no time is beating yourself up required. Now, as indigenous people, as marginalized people, oppressed people, we have learnt that judgment right. We quickly go to condemning ourselves and each other. It is a condition of oppression. I'm saying change the behavior. Don't beat yourself up. There's enough judges out there that can condemn you at the drop of a hat. Please don't be one of them. You remember that going into this weekend, you need a cheerleader. You deserve a cheerleader. And the best cheerleader for you is you. I would be right behind that. I'm cheerleader number two. I hope that makes sense. Comment below. Let me know if that resonated with you as much as it did with me. And once again, please share this with anyone who might benefit from the message, indigenous or not, until next week. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.
