A short YouTube talk by Sandi L Boucher (Red Thunderbolt, Loon clan, Seine River First Nation) reflecting on how European settler influence has distorted Anishinaabe/Indigenous teachings, emphasizing empowerment and the importance of speaking up. She urges Indigenous people to share experiences of disempowering teachings and encourages everyone to communicate needs directly to improve cross-cultural relationships and reconciliation.
Chapters
I don't think it should be a surprise to anyone to hear that over the years with European settler influence that even Indigenous or Anishinaabe teachings have become warped. It has been my experience in my 59 years on this planet that our teachings are incredibly empowering. And in fact, if they're not, we should talk about that. Bonjour. Hello, everybody. My name is Sandy Boucher. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan and a proud member of Seine River first nation in Treaty 3 territory in Northern Ontario. And thank you so much for coming back for yet another week of videos with everything focused on Indigenous Canadian reconciliation. Here we talk about misinformation. We talk about stereotypes. Here I share Indigenous pride so my Indigenous followers can remember how amazing our cultures and our teachings are. And I help non Indigenous people to unpack and understand what's in front of them. Now, this week, the blog post this video is based on is called Cultural Conversations Brief. But I really want to focus in on that empowerment piece. So one of the most disempowering practices I have ever come across. And we've all been there. Well, maybe we haven't been there. If you've never been there, I'd be very interested to hear. But I know as a woman and as an Anishinaabe Kwe, as an Indigenous woman and Ojibwe woman, I have definitely, definitely been there. And it's all those times, all those hours, minutes, days, months, years that we wasted hoping, praying, and wishing someone else would do something different, that they'd say something or ask us something or do something different. And I hope by now, whatever age and stage of your life you're at, that you realize you have absolutely no power there. I used to joke around my single days that I discovered it, that I was in my 40s before I discovered that men are not mind readers and that I had a greater chance of getting what I wanted by simply asking or telling them that there was something I needed. The exact same thing applies to any relationship or conversation. So imagine my surprise when my friend shared with me that he had been shocked that during our recent visit I didn't ask him about his kids, that he had assumed either I would or that he wanted me to. We discussed his kids, by the way, and his mom and his dog and his work. And I just looked at him, I said, if you wanted me to tell you wanted to tell me about your kids, why didn't you just tell me? And he said that wasn't the point, that he thought I should Ask. I'm pretty sure that's assimilation considering he's a white male. But like, how disempowering is that? You set yourself up for a fall because you're expecting someone to be like you. Which ego trip much. They have the right to be who they are. And if you need something, just say it. But as a note, what is that? Footnote or. Or a postscript to this video? Just a real brief message going out to the indigenous. I need you to send me an email. Send me an email if you have ever heard what is on my face here. Yeah, Makeup falling off. Ah. I need you to send me an email if you have ever heard an indigenous teaching, you know, from an elder or someone older and they pass this teaching on to you and it was disempowering, it made you feel less than or bad or whatever. Because I guarantee you that that teaching has been warped and I could go into a whole bunch of them. But honestly, the non indigenous on this page have not earned the right to hear those teachings. So this is indigenous specific. I would really love to hear from you so we can have that conversation. It's not about judging. Judging who told you it. Because obviously they got handed a whole bunch of garbage on their path too. But we do have the power to unpack it. So to everyone, indigenous or non, if you need something, please say it. Please ask a question, please share your need. Let's stop assuming other people are mind readers. Let's start sharing what we hear when someone else says something. Because when it comes to cross cultural relationships, that really helps build the bridge. I hope that makes sense. Until tomorrow. I have so much for you this week. I can't wait to share it with you. Until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye Bye.
