A short YouTube message (transcript) from Sandi L Boucher addressing non-Indigenous viewers of her Indigenous-centered channel. She explains the purpose of keeping the channel Indigenous-centered, gives explicit guidance for non-Indigenous allies about when to comment (encouragement or silence) and when not to (diverting conversation, negativity, judgment), and closes with encouragement and solidarity for Indigenous resilience.
Chapters
Okay, so today I have a special message for my non indigenous viewers. I think we all know now, mine is an Indigenous centered YouTube channel. It's meant to empower indigenous people while informing non Indigenous people of vital information they need to know. But at no time are non indigenous allowed to divert the conversation or add in their 2 cents. This is a place to sit and listen and learn. So I have a message to the non indigenous allies. If you're here, I'm going to assume you're either an ally or wannabe to the non indigenous allies that comment on my video. Some of you have knocked this out of the park. Some of you need to learn these rules. And you know what? I think I'm gonna pin this as the main YouTube channel video because you might be new here. Maybe you don't know. So let's talk about it. Foreign. Hi everybody, my name is Sandy Boucher. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, a proud member of Same River First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory in Northern Ontario. And as I mentioned in the opening today, I wanted to speak, speak directly to the non Indigenous fans, friends and followers who watch my YouTube videos. Maybe you're new here. If you're new here, welcome. I'm so thrilled that you found my channel. But a lot of non Indigenous people are commenting on the videos and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But I need you to think before you comment. As I mentioned in the opener, if you're diverting the conversation meaning you want to type, oh, it's the same for this group. Don't, please don't. There are so few Indigenous centered spaces in Canada. Please let the focus remain Indigenous centered. Thank you. Even indigenous in another country. Please don't. There are very, very few Canadian Indigenous centered spaces, especially online. So please don't. The other one is non Indigenous people giving their opinion. I mean if you took value from when I shared, I love hearing that. Of course, I mean I support both sides of the feather, but if you think it's ridiculous or something, then I need you to think of some things. I don't have a index card. Today I actually sent an email to myself with some. This came to me while I was sitting on the couch. This is how dedicated I am to my work. Even on a Saturday being a bump on the log on the couch, I'm thinking of you. So I want you to imagine for a second you're non Indigenous, just watched a video and you typed out a comment. Now you're just about to hit send. So that IT posts. I want you to think of this. If an indigenous person were to read the comment you just typed, would it help them? And what I mean by that is would it give them hope? They would see a non indigenous person being supportive, then that's a yes. If it would make them feel like non indigenous people just sit in judgment of us and they're never really respectful and they never just listen or they question us and don't want to believe what we know to be true and then don't hit enter. Would it give an indigenous person hope? Would it encourage them? Would they see that no indigenous can respect indigenous centered spaces without having to add in their own opinion? Would you be fuel to their fight to empower? Or would your words add to their burden? By reading that you don't think anything will change. If you're totally discouraged, I understand it. Please do not share that because it spreads like wildfire and you are harming indigenous by believing it'll never change even if you're indigenous. If you're indigenous and you're discouraged for one, I hope you're here. For two, please listen to my words and just keep taking them in until you believe again. But do not spread the negativity. That does not help us. We have to have hope or we're not getting out of this and my grandkids depend on this. So please don't do that. If nothing else will they see you stop to think before you commented. If you cannot say yes, do not comment. Do not add to their burden because you are discouraged. This is not the place and you have no right. Here we do hope and encouragement and support. Here we do allyship either with encouragement or silence because both work here. There is no space for white frustration or disillusionment. We have our own to contend with. So I hope that made sense. I hope you understand I come on here every single day to try to share some encouragement or some information that you need to know so you can build those bridges. Please do not undo my work with your negative comments. Your your taking the conversation in another direction or. Or your disillusionment. I understand it. And like I said, if you are disillusioned, then please pull up a chair and stay as long as you need and I will do everything in my power to fan that little flame in you until you have hope burning bright within you again. Because indigenous are resilient and today is challenging, but nothing compared to what our ancestors went through. They did not survive so we could give up. I'm sorry we do not have that luxury. We have work to do like they had work to do even if all they could do was survive, that's enough for us to do our work. I hope that made sense. So to all of those non indigenous allies who do comment and just say wow, that resonated with me or Chimigwech or whatever it is, I love you. Thank you for being here. Please stay as long as you like. I would love to have tea with you one day but the negative comments. No, this is a safe space. This is a place of encouragement. This is where we fan the flame of hope and belief because that's the fuel we need. And if you're going to throw water on our fire, on our sacred fire, then you're the one that shouldn't be here. Or at least you shouldn't be doing that. Let's sit down and relax. It's fun to have hope. It's encouraging. That's what I hope for you. I hope that made sense. I love you. Take care. Bye bye.
