Short YouTube video (≈5 minutes) by Sandi L Boucher (Red Thunderbolt) reflecting on elders, grief, and the importance of preserving elders’ teachings. Sandi shares a personal anecdote about her mother’s work at a senior centre, emphasizes forgiving loved ones’ shortcomings, and urges viewers—especially Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies—to remember and carry forward elders’ wisdom.
Chapters
Bonjour Mishko Paganon Kwei Na Di Mungdo Dam Hi everybody, it's Sandy 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 I'm here with yet another week of videos and blog posts for your consideration. As always, they're about five minutes in length, a nice little tidbit that, that you can consider as you go about your day. I know how busy you are. You don't have time for a seven hour history lesson. I don't have time for a seven hour history lesson. But together we can learn. So I have a special message I want to send out today. But first we should talk about elders and their infinite wisdom and grief. Let's talk about it.
Sam.
Hello again. So as I mentioned, I wanted to talk about elders engraving today. But first I really just needed to send out a huge chimigwech, which is a huge thank you to you for watching this video. So if you're indigenous and following my work, well then kudos to you. That means to me that you want change. You want more than what was handed to us. You want more than the trauma and the pain that is the current and past for so many people. You want to heal, you want to grow, you want to become everything you were meant to be, everything Creator designed you to be. And I love that you're here. And if you're non indigenous, well then you're my fuel because we can't reconcile if non indigenous isn't even going to hear us. So if you're here taking in this message, know that I appreciate you. Now, as I've mentioned a hundred times in my videos, I am 59 years old, or as an acquaintance of mine said, I'm bumping 60. I kind of love that. I don't know why, it just amuses me. But I can remember back to a time when my mom was in her early 70s and at that time she was working at a senior center, a volunteer drop in center for senior citizens. And I swear from my perspective, it was like every week she was saying goodbye to another friend that she seemed to be in this perpetual state of grieving. And at one point I shared with her how I was really concerned about her and this fact and that maybe she should consider working somewhere else or volunteering somewhere else. And she was quick to correct me and point out that grieving is the price we pay for having loved. And that considering all of her friends were in their 70s and 80s. It was going to be a natural reality, natural occurrence. And she was okay with grieving the people that passed on because she loved the people that had passed on. I'm not in my 70s. I'm 59, as I mentioned. But I can't believe how many people I've already had to say goodbye to. And contrary to non indigenous perspective, it's losing the elders that always takes me out at my knees. And I'm going to try not to make myself cry because. And it's the stereotype, but it's also incredibly true that our elders are so often so wise and carry so much wisdom, and it's like a museum burns down when we lose one. And that got me thinking that maybe the fact that so many don't make it to that age, that older age, maybe that's why the elders are so wise, because they're carrying the stories and the teachings and the examples and the history of all of the people they have loved who have gone on that. They are this museum of knowledge. And they carry it so humbly and so beautifully. So, as we continue on our path and have to say goodbye to loved ones, I guess what I'm encouraging you to do today is to hang on to their lessons. Forgive the shortcomings, take the lessons, leave the rest. None of us are perfect. There is no sense sitting in judgment. Glass houses, anyone? Forgive them for all the things they didn't get to heal from. If you come next, that's your opportunity now. Your chance. But hang on to the best parts of them. Because we believe if you do that, if we did a good enough job with sharing the best parts of us, well, that's why we don't need a headstone. We can bet on you remembering us. I hope that made sense. I hope that resonated. As always. Comment below, let me know what you thought. Send me an email if you're confused or have a question. Until tomorrow, we have an amazing week ahead of us. I love you. Take care. Bye. Bye.
