Don't Paint It Pretty!

Name: Don't Paint It Pretty!
Uploaded: 2023-06-27T10:14:07+00:00
Duration: 4 min 4 s
Channel: Sandi L Boucher
Description: Sandi L Boucher, Red Thunderbolt of the Loon clan, warns against romanticizing Indigenous cultures. She says non-Indigenous people often paint them as…

27 Jun 2023 · 4 min

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4:04

Sandi L Boucher, Red Thunderbolt of the Loon clan, warns against romanticizing Indigenous cultures. She says non-Indigenous people often paint them as perfect when the reality includes racism, poverty, and overrepresentation in prisons.

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June 27, 2023.

Sandy Boucher (also given as Sandy Boucher Mishko Paganon Kwei Nandishna Kasman Dodem), Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, member of Seine River First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory, Northern Ontario.

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Have you ever been put on a pedestal by someone? If you haven't, there's a chance that you might think that sounds kind of awesome. It isn't. It so isn't. Because all that means is they don't know the real you, Sam. Hi, everybody. My name is Sandy Boucher Mishko Paganon Kwei Nandishna Kasman Dodem. 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 I'm here with the video for June 27 based on today's blog post that was called don't paint it Pretty. And as an indigenous woman, as Mishnah BEI Kwe, this just happens way too often. I hear very enthusiastic non indigenous people, usually women. I don't know if that plays into this or not. Just realize that as I was talking. But they go on and on about how amazing our teachings are and how they're so grounded and so based in common sense and on and on and on. And they just act like it's. It's that pedestal. It's so unrealistic, as if they're trying to say that we are better than. And we're not. We're one of the colors of the medicine wheel. And even more importantly, whatever your cultural background is, your culture has valuable teachings too. And maybe looking from the outside, it's just so easy to think ours are just amazing. And you know what? I happen to think they are. But so are yours. And guess what? Our people aren't perfect. We're nowhere near perfect. Why? We're human and we have our flaws. And the indigenous experience is far from perfect. If you think it would be awesome to be indigenous, you have no idea what it's like to be indigenous. If you've never felt the gut punch of racism as a woman. To be. To have people assume that you're easy and that they don't have to treat you with any kind of respect. I've dealt with that my entire adult life. So please don't paint it pretty. Don't paint the indigenous experience pretty. You can love our teachings. You can admire our regalia. But remember the trauma and racism, the overrepresentation in our prison system, the poverty that way too many of us know that's just as real as the value of our teachings. Please pass that on the next time how amazing our teachings are comes up in conversation. I would super appreciate it. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel comment below. Let me know what you thought of this video. And if you have a topic you would love me to discuss, well, then put it under the video and I'll make sure to do just that until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye. It.