FIND BETTER WHITE PEOPLE! (or Indigenous or Whomever)

You know how several videos ago I talked about the wall metaphor and I explained that some people are dancing on the wall and they're comfortable working with indigenous or non indigenous people, that there's another group that are touching the wall and they want to be that comfortable and confident. They just need more information. And then there was that third group, that group that was so far away from the wall. And we recognize them because they say things like, it's never going to change, why bother? That's the group I want to focus on today, the group so far away from the wall, they don't think things are ever going to change. And maybe you're being affected by that type of person. So let's talk about. Bonjour. 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 before I jump into today's topic, there's two things I definitely want to say. So first off, do you know how amazing you are? Because I know how amazing you are. I am speaking directly to fans, friends, followers, the people that have subscribed to my channel, the people who have called or emailed me. You guys are so amazing. You are making my YouTube experience just so absolutely beautiful. And by the way, if you're brand new here and this is the first video you're watching, maybe none of that makes sense. Feel free, go check out a few videos. Hopefully you'll decide to stay on my YouTube channel to subscribe. So you can join me at what I like to think of as my kitchen table so we can have a discussion. But there's a second group that I just want to talk about for a sec before we go into today's topic. There's going to be some indigenous person that comes along and maybe they're frustrated they don't have a voice and maybe they wish they had an audience of people that listen to them and they see me and they think pretending. And they will comment, well, how. How are you, full breed? How indigenous are you? They never say indigenous. How Indian are you? Okay, here's. Here's to you guys. Just for a second. If I was to explain my indigenerity, indigeneity. Every single video, these would be really boring videos and I would lose all amazing people that follow me. So I am indigenous. I know my story. I've shared it a hundred times in videos. Go check out my other videos. I am a proud member of Seine River First Nation in Northern Ontario, Canada. And I am me doing what I feel is my responsibility to help build bridges. I'm not out here attacking non indigenous people because I don't think they deserve it. Some of them do, Some of them, I'll call them out too. But for the most part, 99% the people I work with are amazing non indigenous people, heart in the right place, that are lacking information. And we can't even blame them because the information wasn't in our education systems. So kudos to them for being here. To the non indigenous people watching and willing to learn, you are my fuel. You're what keeps me going. You're what puts a smile on my face. In the same way that when I'm in an indigenous community and I see a young woman stand tall and proud and share her truth, that's a 649 kind of day for me. But today we got to talk about that third group. Now remember that group. We're going to flash up a picture of the wall again, please and thank you videographer, because you're amazing. Remember, these people exist on both sides of the wall. So indigenous and non indigenous. On the indigenous side you're hearing why bother? Why bother going to school? It's not going to change anything. They're never going to hire me no matter how educated I get. Why bother sending my kids to school? It didn't help me, it's not going to help them. Remember acquiescence is a condition of response to oppression. Do not hate these people. Understand where it's coming from. And on the white. Well, we got the why bother? They're never going to get it together. Those Indians just like getting handouts. They get way too much money as it is. And all the other God awful, horrible racist stereotypes. But every now and then we run across these people. I do. I know I do. And I'd be willing to bet every now and then you do. So what do you do when you run across one of these people? I think the first thing that comes to my mind is don't bother trying to change their mind. Yeah, Might as well go walk over into the corner and talk to the ball. That's how far you're gonna get. All you're gonna do is exhaust yourself and that shouldn't be your goal. You're not gonna get through to them. This is not. There is a really good chance this is not the generation in their bloodline that is gonna understand this stuff. And, and we need to be okay with that. We don't need to judge. We need to understand that they're just not ready yet. That's why the wall metaphor is so important for us. People dancing up on the wall. If I spent all my time trying to argue and convince the people so far away from the wall, I would have exhausted myself years ago and we'd have no allies. But every single one of us who are working with the people who are trying to understand. And every single day we grow in numbers of people growing in understanding, able to understand what they're seeing on the six o' clock news for the very first time through new, more educated eyes. But that third group is just not going to get it. So my advice, yes, of course. Handy dandy index card. This is how all of this started. Why would I give up something that works? So I'm gonna get Red Thunderbolt woman blunt here. So maybe you want to take a second, hang on to your seat. Not trying to be rude, trying to be respectful of this very short period of time we have together. If you are indigenous and you run into that very problematic non indigenous type person, I have one piece of advice for you. Find better non indigenous people. Find better non indigenous people. Because if you believe all non indigenous people are like that problematic group, that's a stereotype and that's just as problematic and as them thinking something God awful about all of us. No, I am so blessed in that I spend almost every single day, probably every single day speaking to the kind of non indigenous people you need to find. Doesn't mean they don't say goofy things every now and then. Doesn't mean they don't fall back into a stereotype every now and then. But it's because they don't know better and their heart's in the right place. And if you build a relationship with them, of course, if they're problematic from the get go, feel free to back away. Non indigenous education can't be at the price of indigenous as pain. I've said that a hundred times. But when you start like give them a chance to prove themselves to you, don't just assume all white people are problematic. Start forming a relationship with them. When they say something problematic, you have to say something. Ouch comes to mind. Whoa. Did you really believe that? You might want to Google that or anything. You don't. You are not responsible for educating them. If you feel up to it, go right ahead. If you've established enough of a relationship that you want to keep this relationship, then feel free to exercise that. I correct people when they say something wrong. Especially if it's going to feed A stereotype if it's reinforcing a stereotype. But what I'm telling you is Indigenous are not the only people that can support you. There are allies out here. There are still a lot of problematic people, and we got a lot of work to do. But it's a lot easier to do that work when you have the allies with you. Hang on to your Indigenous friends. Tight. But consider addering, adding in a non indigenous or 2 or 3 or 10. They're actually pretty cool people, the ones that are touching the wall or dancing on the wall. For the non Indigenous viewers, when you run into someone who wants to buy all the Indigenous stereotypes. Now, I come from a small northern Ontario town, and truth is, growing up there was a. I didn't grow up in a reserve or a reservation, as they call it in the US I grew up in a municipality, a small town. My dad was French. She worked in the sawmill. My mom went on to work in the sawmill. And at that time, it was only boat access, water access to the First Nation community that was right across the lake from us. And during winter time, they'd come across the ice road, they come across the lake, or in the summertime, they come by boat, they come buy their groceries. And yes, there was a liquor store in our town. And I can often remember walking down the street and seeing Indigenous person after Indigenous person, totally intoxicated, passed out on the street. There are people that grew up, non Indigenous people who grew up with similar circumstances, similar experiences that believe all Indigenous people are like that. Now, I never had that worldview. My mom was holding my hand as we walked past these people. My mom. Picture my mom. Yep. Awesome. My mom was Indigenous. I knew my heart actually went out to them. Like, I often asked my mom, like, mom, why? Why are they doing that? Of course, my mom was really uncomfortable. And how do you explain overwhelming pain? How do you explain trying to escape the shame that has been baked into your veins ever since you landed on this planet thanks to the colonizers? How do you explain that? So she didn't. But what I'm trying to say is, if that is the only example you have of Indigenous people, you need to expand your example of Indigenous people. And for all those people that think Indigenous is only the straight black hair and the dark skin and walking around with beads and feathers, you got to expand your definition of what Indigenous looks like too. Because I'm Indigenous. And if you think, if the thought just popped in your head, you don't look Indigenous. The only thing wrong with that is Your definition of what indigenous looks like. Cuz I am indigenous. So you need to expand that definition. Bottom line, there are people so far away from the wall they're not all the people of either side. So if you. I always say, you know what if someone's totally. And I get. Give me a second for the way I phrase it because I always get crucified for that. If someone's being a total jerk to you, feel free to hate the jerk, not the entire group he comes from. And yes, I use the word hate. That's the part I always get backlash about. Dislike, avoid. Throw in whatever word works for you. You get my point. All both sides of the wall have words I can say on YouTube. Idiots. Let's go with idiots. They don't represent all of us. I don't represent all of us. Nobody does. So how about they're going to crucify us for some sins, Judge us for what we do and don't do, not what the group does. One of the things about privilege going to touch on a touchy topic right now. I'm talking about white privilege. Yeah, no, you have white privilege when the world sees you as an individual. And many with white privilege actually get really upset when we try to group them together as non indigenous or God forbid white. They get really offended by that marginalized people. That's been happening since the day we were born black newcomers. Indigenous and indigenous is even to me worse because it's a whole bunch of different indigenous. That happens to black too. I'm going to backtrack on that. Where everyone tries to get we are always seen as the group. I have been asked years ago, not recently, but at one point, at one job, I was actually asked what I thought the people in one of our remote communities felt like. What they felt about an issue. Having been raised in a small municipality and now living in the city. And I just looked at my boss because yes, it was my boss that was asking and I just looked at him and said why do you think I would know? Do you know exact same? No clue. You could guess. You could listen to a bunch of stereotypes. But asking someone who's never been there, never lived there and never had that experience is not going to build the bridge. So what do I need you to do? I need you. If you come across someone problematic, realize that person is going through something, maybe they are problematic in what you're trying to accomplish. Just don't paint us all with the same brush. There are really amazing non indigenous people out there and there are really amazing indigenous people, and that's. We have to find each other. We have to find them so we can build the bridge. I think that's our responsibility. I hope that makes sense. Dying to hear what you think. I got a bunch of index cards for you this week and hopefully some videos that are really going to get you thinking and help you build that bridge. Until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.