"I Didn't Put Anyone into Residential School!!"

Hello, you absolutely amazing person, you. And welcome to my kitchen table. Welcome to my office. Welcome to my YouTube channel. Welcome to my social media. Wherever you are watching this, whether you found this by accident or on purpose, welcome. Every single time I do one of these videos, I like to pretend that you are coming to sit at my kitchen table, just like I would have done a million times at my mom's. I would sit at her kitchen table when something was bothering me, when I was confused about something, when I was challenged about something. And I always knew she would listen. I always knew she would make me laugh. I always knew that I would leave that table, maybe not with the answer, but with the belief that I was going to be okay and I would figure this out. That was the power of my mom. And that's what I bring to my work. My name is Sandy Boucher. Mishko Paganong Kwei Nadishnikas Mung Doh Dam. What I just said in Ojibwe is I am or Red Thunderbolt Woman is my name. Loon Clan. I'm a proud member of Seine River first nation in Treaty 3 territory in Northern Ontario. And yes, I realize I don't look indigenous. The gray and the blonde really kind of throw people off. And for most, especially in January, I'm not as dark as you would expect. But I like to consider myself an incognito indigenous person. But I was raised by the beautiful Anishinaabe Kwe Indigenous Ojibwe woman who was my mom. And I was raised in her worldview. And I've worked my entire life with Indigenous peoples first to help them overcome the challenges of the past. And then about eight years ago I working with non Indigenous Canadians because I started to realize it wasn't that they didn't care, it was because they didn't know. They didn't know the stereotypes they were being fed. They didn't know the misinformation or how much missing information was part of their so called education about us. And they many of them didn't realize we're still here. In fact, many of them would say things like when are they just going to get over it? And I didn't send anyone to residential school. What's this got to do with me? Let's talk about that. My name is Sandy Boucher, a Red Thunderbolt woman of the Loon Clan, a proud member of Seine River first nation in Treaty 3 territory in Northern Ontario. And if you're not familiar with my work, every ounce of my being is dedicated to bringing this country together. To helping Indigenous and non Indigenous work together. No shame, no guilt, no attacking, no beating up. Just healing and conversations and relationship. Because I truly believe relationship is what's going to take us from truth to reconciliation. There's so many Canadians out there right now, non Indigenous Canadians doing the work, they're taking, the courses, they're studying, they're learning Canadian history. All of that is great. But if you're still not talking to us, us being the indigenous, we're never getting to reconciliation. And I get it. Studying is safe. Studying you can do in your home, studying you can do. It's just you in the textbooks. No, if you have question what you talk to a professor you're comfortable with. There is no change. We're still being excluded. So I help people build real bridges to get past their fears and find the safe spaces. I create good soil and I try to be good medicine to help people actually come together. So I'm kind of excited today. I wanted to do this more laid back style video because this is my first video of 2026. Not really sure when you're gonna watch it, but I am shooting this as my first video of 2026. I'm not even officially back to work yet, so shh, don't tell anyone. My email autoresponder is still on. It also explains the attire. I'm not dressed for work. It's Sunday. It's my last Sunday before going back. I'm doing a chill kind of thing, but I don't know about you and how religious or spiritual you are, but for me, what's that quote? If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for the day. Kind of the same thing with my creator. I think I know what I'm gonna do today and then creator has other plans. So one of the things I absolutely love doing when it's downtime is reading. And I actually, I have them on my desk. I'll talk about it in another video. I took three weeks off for the Christmas break and managed to finish three books. But I'm in the the reading mood now. That mom that vibe. So I wanted to keep it going. And I picked up a new book off my bookcase that I wanted to read for a long time. And it's who we are. Four Questions for a Life and a Nation written by the honorable Murray Sinclair. And if anyone ever inspired me and touched my soul and the senator Marie Sinclair. In fact, in the show notes, I'll. I'll put in a clip of this incred, incredibly powerful clip of one of his speeches, talking about why, talking about those people, they want us to just move on and get over it. So I'm going to leave that question to Senator Murray Sinclair to, to answer today. I wanted to speak to the people that say things like, well, I never put anyone in residential school, so what has this got to do with me? And it actually, it's something I read in his book. And by the way, holy moly, was I wrong about this book. I guess, and I will own it and acknowledge it, that I put Senator Sinclair on like a pedestal. Just, oh, the wisdom that men carried, the humility that man carried. Just everything I aspire to do and be. And after the forward, when you get right into the book, first sentence of the second paragraph in this book, just in case you had you, if you know anything about Senator Sinclair, so you got your idea in your head of what this book would be, first sentence, second paragraph, give me your effing money. I don't know about you, but I didn't expect an F bomb on the very first page of this book. And just like for anyone who's followed my work. And maybe you saw the first podcast of the year, which was last week or right at the beginning of the year with Antoinette God and the author of Native Brushstrokes. Yeah, I didn't. I was blown away by that book and couldn't put it down. After the entry in this book, I could see losing some sleep reading this one, too. But there was a point in this book and I'm going to check it's on, like, I don't know, the fifth page or the sixth page. He's talking about his life story and how he usually shares it and he usually starts it with his earliest memory. And he shares how, in this case, in this book, he wants to do something different. That quote, unquote, he wanted to start. I'm, I'm looking at my notes here, so I get this right. He wanted to start with the story that begins before our first memories. The story that begins before our first memories. I want you to think about that. Whether you're indigenous or none, I hope that you see and can realize that your story began before your first memories. If you think of your parents, and I don't mean this in any disrespectful way, but they were human. My parents were human. So what beautiful examples and gifts and teachings did you inherit from them? And what baggage did you inherit from them? Because those things were developed and designed and built and created before you were. And that's so much of my work. Because the reality when people say things like why don't you just get over it? I just kind of want to scream back. And I don't. Because I don't scream, I don't attack. But I want to just say, do you honestly think Indigenous people don't wish on a sin stack of Bibles that we could get past this? We're fighting to do our healing every single day and being judged for the fact that we're not far enough on our healing journey yet. Could you just go get a job? No, cuz I can't get out of bed. So yes, our story started before our first memories. And guess what? For Canadians, so did yours. Because I am 61 years old and creeping up on the back of my 62nd birthday and I remember what I was taught or what I wasn't taught in public school about Indigenous peoples, about my own people. You were taught stereotypes. And by the way, even if you're indigenous, you were taught stereotypes. I have met many Indigenous people. The fancy term is internalized oppression. You buy the BS about Indigenous people. You believe that somehow you're less than or somehow you can't be Prime Minister. Why not? Will it be easy? No. Could you do it 110? You could. In the words of my dad, you can be anything you want to be if and only if you're willing to work hard enough to get it. And if you choose Mount Everest, that's not going to be easy. I just don't think you were put here to pick the easy path. Like I said in my New Year's wish to everyone, I don't wish you an easy path because an easy path creates weak people. And weak people are vulnerable people. And I would never want you to be vulnerable. So as we go through this next year together, what I would ask you to do is please remember that your story began before your first memories, whether you're Indigenous or not. And maybe you didn't send anyone to residential school, but you benefited from the very systems that excluded us. You benefited from an economy that was able to be built. When building an economy in the First Nation community was actually illegal. We weren't even allowed to leave the community. So no trading with anyone else, no building anything. Because the intent was dependence. Make us dependent on Canada, so maybe we're not such a pain in the tush. And the reality is, I know firsthand that when you try to take a culture away from someone, when you try to limit who they are, when you try to create dependence, then you're stuck with people who are dependent on you. I work hard to see the day when Indigenous stand strong and proud and our communities are healed so that we can work side by side, side with Canadians and this country as a whole can reach heights it's never seen before. That is my goal. That is my vision where a First Nation community is the safest person for a First Nation person to be. To go home when you need to, to heal when you need to have someone wrap their arms around you and say, it's okay, you're safe, you can heal here, but just long enough to get strong enough to stand up and go try again. We are not the enemy. We are not weak. We are not less than. Indigenous people are some of the strongest, most resilient people I've ever met. Look at everything that has happened to us, that was done to us. And we're still here. We're still laughing, we're still having families, we're still hoping for the future. And even more, we're still trying to believe in Canadians and wanting to work with you despite the story that happened before our first memories. So together, let's do this. Thank you for coming to my table today, my metaphorical kitchen table. And I hope you stick around for the journey. Subscribe, watch some of my videos, ask your questions, be respectful, because I'm going to be respectful of you. I don't have time for judgment or bs. The trolls. Guys, I'm sorry you're hurting so much that you get a joy from hurting other people. Don't do that on my channel. I work with enough people in pain every single day that I'm definitely not doing it here. But I am sharing my kitchen table and information with you. So here's to an amazing 2026. Let's make this the best year ever. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.