My Thoughts & Answers!

And here we are again with my nice clean office. Run with that please. It'll get clean before I leave on my road trip. And of course when you're watching this, I'm on my road trip. But we are now at Friday and this week I shared with you the path shared some things out of my book. I shared with you this final exercise from the book and today I wanted to share some of my answers and and my thoughts. And that doesn't mean this is end all be all the right it's I love having these discussions and live seminar because we learn so much from each other, from those that are willing to learn from each other. So let's talk about it. 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 as I mentioned, we're going to finish off this week where I'm going to give you feedback on the 10 people that we met in this exercise. What path I think they're on, what stage I think they're on and how do we help them move to the next stage. So let's jump into it. The first person was that angry person, you don't know if they're indigenous or not, who thinks that we should just quit talking about the past because we can't change it and move on. From my indigenous lens, I am putting this person on the non indigenous path and it's because of what they said. They said we, they think we should quit talking about the past because we can't change it and we should move on. If it was an indigenous person and of course there could be an angry indigenous person who thinks we should quit talking about the past. But they would say because it's never going to change. But mainstream is never going to accept us. Right? So slightly different. So I'm putting them on the non indigenous pass path. They're in stage one. They have not accepted the facts yet. They don't even want to talk about it anymore. So if they accepted the facts they would understand why we have to talk about it. And expecting indigenous people to just move on or Canada just to move on, that means they don't even understand why that we have things to reconcile from. So they are hardcore stage one just beginning their journey. Next, an angry indigenous activist who keeps calling white people snowflakes. Okay, so obviously indigenous path. This person is stage one. This person has not done their healing yet. This is that anger. Remember, there's three natural human reactions to oppression. There's violence, there's acquiescence, just giving up and there's nonviolent resistance. This anger is violence in another form. So stage one, Indigenous path. How you doing so far? Do you agree with me? Love to hear about it in the comments. Third person, an intoxicated homeless indigenous person. So again indigenous path. Cuz they're identified as indigenous. Homeless. No. Yes, Homeless and intoxicated. This person needs healing. This person needs compassion and support. Their stage one for totally different reasons than the angry person, but healing needed. Nevertheless there's stage one. I will go back to talk about how we're moving these people to the next stage. So I should be writing this down right? So I can remember Angry person. So they were non indigenous in stage one. Angry indigenous activist was indigenous. Stage one, Intoxicated homeless indigenous person, Indigenous path stigma. Stage one, a chief giving a speech at a national assembly. So obviously indigenous path. I would give you or agree with you if you said either stage three or stage four. So stage three is using their strong empowered voice. So he's giving a speech. He, she, they giving a speech at a national assembly. So that's total empowerment. Depending on what the speech is about, this could also be steps to reconciliation which would make it stage four. Okay, so either a three or four on the indigenous path. Number five, a white person who is heartbroken with newfound awareness of their privilege. The word privilege is the one that gave it away. So they are definitely non indigenous. So on the non indigenous path they are stage to the higher learning. They've accepted the facts, but now they're identifying the benefits and unpacking that suitcase and coming to terms with their privilege. Guilt and shame are often part of coming to terms with your privilege. But I always like to remind people no one asked for their level of privilege nor can you give it back. Feeling bad about it doesn't help anyone. Use it to help the people that don't have the privilege. Right? Hold open the door for the people who get get in the door that you just walked through. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Not easy. The answer is easy. Actually doing it takes reconciliation. Number six, a CEO who wants to develop an indigenous engagement strategy. Okay, non Indigenous. Because for one CEO, I'm not saying Indigenous people can't be CEOs. I'm saying look at the numbers. I see CEOs that look more like this than I do indigenous people any day of the week. So. And they want to develop an indigenous engagement strategy which implies indigenous is different othering. Right? So chances are I'm not indigenous, otherwise we'd already be engaging. Right. So they are on the non indigenous path. They want to develop an indigenous engagement strategy. Again, I'm going to give you leeway if you said either three or four. I'm leaning more to three because now actually I'm going to backtrack on that. It is stage three because they're just developing the strategy. If they were implementing the strategy or following it, that would be stage four. So right now they want to develop the indigenous engagement strategy, which is the change in behavior, which is stage three. See, that's why these discussions are so awesome. Because you talk this stuff through, you gain wisdom. It's awesome. Next one. Number seven. Indigenous community members who want to develop an alternative justice program for their community. So we know they're on the indigenous path. Hint, they're taking action. They want to develop an alternative justice program. Excuse me. Of course I yawned. I did yesterday. I'm going to do it today. An alternative justice program, just for your. FYI, the justice program doesn't work for indigenous people. You can see that by the high incarceration rates. It's not helping anything. But often, like an indigenous person, and this is a generalization, does not apply to everyone. But often an indigenous person standing in front of a judge doesn't believe they have a chance in heck. They're being judged and. And they're just going to be sentenced. And then often that's the case. But if that person had to stand in front of a circle of elders and explain why they did what they did, respected elders, and the attitude could be totally different. Now you're going to see remorse. Now you're going to see humility. Might even see vulnerability. That would be an alternate of one form of an alternative justice program. So these people are on the indigenous path. And because they are taking action, they're not just unpacking the suitcase or looking at internalized oppression. They want to change things. They are stage three again, they're developing. They're not. It's not in practice. So not stage four yet. Number eight was the indigenous traditional dancer. Now, so obviously on the indigenous path, a huge part of stage three is Indigenous pride. So I would. I seriously need to eat something. I am so sorry. I am going to put them in stage three with a huge disclaimer. I know traditional dancers that if you talk to them for five seconds, you realize they're in stage one. They haven't done their healing yet. They just learned how to dance a bow wow. I am assuming that this is a healthy, confident, traditional dancer, proud of who they are. So I'm going to put them in stage three and give them the benefit of the doubt. Number nine. An indigenous youth has attempted to unalive themselves. Indigenous path Stage one. They need healing, they need support, they need encouragement, they need understanding, they need space and time to heal. Stage one and the last one, a CEO who is pushing for their indigenous partners to get it together. Non indigenous paths stay. Step one. This is a person who has not accepted the facts, has no idea why indigenous people haven't gotten it together, doesn't realize the need for reconciliation, doesn't understand a lot. There is a lot of education that needs to happen there. So they're non indigenous. Stage one. So let's go back and run through how we're going to help these people. This angry person who thinks they should quit talking about the past and just move on that non indigenous stage one. They're not going to hear you because they're angry. So like don't lose a lot of energy here talking to the wall because that's about it. But I would suggest like responding with something like, no, we can't change the past, but we can heal from it. We can change the future and leave it like that. Silence is acceptance. So you have to say something. Do not argue with this person. That's a waste of your energy. But just planting the seeds that there is something we can do about it. So are they going to hear you maybe the 15th time you say it? Focus more on not staying silent and just accepting. Second one, an angry indigenous activist who keeps calling white people snowflakes. Indigenous path stage one. I would hardcore call this person out. I would point out to them that inflicting harm on other people doesn't help us heal, that two wrongs don't make a right, that that doesn't help. And that I know a whole bunch of non indigenous people that aren't snowflakes and that's offensive. Again, silence is acceptance. I would most definitely say something. I call out indigenous people for being racist all the time. Racist is racist. I don't care who it is. Number three, an intoxicated homeless indigenous person. Stage one Indigenous path. Make sure they're safe. Call in the proper supports. I mean here in the city there's a wide variety of agencies that offer support. Give them space and time and dignity. Yeah, don't feel sorry for them. That makes it worse. But accept, don't judge. Accept that this is a natural human reaction to oppression and, and we didn't create we as an Indigenous didn't create the environment that we're struggling with. Canada did. So there's that. Number four, Chief giving a speed a speech at a national Assembly. If you, if you're indigenous and you're there listening to it, applaud loudly. If you're non indigenous or indigenous and you heard about it online, you saw in the news, whatever, share it. Share their voice. Make sure that their proud, strong voice, their voice reaches even more people. That's how you help them move into reconciliation. Because that speech can educate other people. Okay, you don't need to say anything. Just let. We don't need people speaking for us. Just magnify our voice. Number five, a white person who is heartbroken with newfound awareness of their privilege. Indigenous non indigenous path stage 2. Give them time to. To cry their tears. White fragility is a thing. But then I always remind people that if they're focused on their feelings, they're once again focused on the wrong people. That reconciliation requires that you're thinking of the people that don't have that privilege and that are oppressed. And once you get past your grieving, don't stay there long because we need you to get to stage three, the action stage. So supportive. Understand it's a shock, but really encouraging them to get past that and get on to doing something. Number six, a CEO who wants to develop an indigenous engagement strategy. Non indigenous stage three, 100% encourage them to 100. Make sure that they develop the indigenous engagement strategy with Indigenous people. They have to get the right lens on the work. Number seven, Indigenous community members who want to develop an alternative justice program for their community. Indigenous path Stage three, fully support and endorse that work. Again, if you heard about it in the news, share the story, magnify the work they're doing. In this case, whether you're indigenous or non. I would definitely add encouraging words. Wow, this is great, great steps forward. Awesome. This is reconciliation work. Anything like that. So that people who follow know that you support this work. That would kind of make you an ally, an Indigenous, traditional dancer. Indigenous path Stage three. Totally just applaud or smile or whatever is appropriate. Depends what kind of gathering you're at. Just enjoy an empowered indigenous person. Enjoy the view. Don't go over there and ask 5 million questions. They don't do it to become a resource manual. Just appreciate this is a person that has done some healing, maybe even a tell other people about them. To encourage, especially Indigenous, not by putting pressure on them, but just, you know, share with your non indigenous people. How awesome it was to see this. And if they go silent, you know they've got some work to do on the path. Number nine, an indigenous youth who has attempted to unalive themselves. That is definitely indigenous past stage one. Get them the supports, get them the encouragement they need, get the professional help they need. Give them time and space. Don't expect from them. This is holding space for their healing. And last but not least, a CEO who is pushing for their indigenous partners to get it together. If that person, because their CEO is running a company, just no 110, that company is not engaged in reconciliation work because if that's what their leader thinks, then that has poisoned all of the work of that agency. It would reduce it just to being performative because it's going to be tainted, the bad apple by the bad apple that is the CEO. I would definitely put back on someone saying that and say that obviously they need to do some education because they have no idea what you want us to get past. And by the way, don't imply it's in the past because all of the oppression and harm and all of that stuff is still happening. There you have it. The final reconciliation exercise. That is part of my full day, the PATH Summit seminar. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know. Did any light bulbs go off? Did you realize some things, did you realize some things about the people you work with or interact with? Are there some things you are doing differently now, Actions that you're going to take? I hope you enjoyed that. I will be back in the office next week, but I am shooting a couple more videos ahead of time because I don't want to shoot a video as soon as I walk in the door. I think that only makes sense. Until then, have a super duper double delicious weekend and I'll see you next week. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.