YouTube video (transcript) by Sandi L Boucher reflecting on performative activism from an Indigenous viewpoint. The speaker situates herself as an Indigenous woman (Red Thunderbolt, Loon clan, Seine River First Nation) and contrasts humility-driven genuine action with public, brand-focused gestures (banners, one-day posts). She calls for institutional changes (hiring, policy, safe spaces, audits) rather than symbolic sponsorships or single-day observances.
Chapters
Hello again, it's Sandy Boucher, still in Covid recovery mode. But as I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to attempt to do a second video. I've been spending a lot of time while I've been recovering, observing the world. What's been going on, especially with the events that are happening this year. We've talked about pretendions, we talked about descendants. We got to talk about another problem. And this is performative activism. 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 yes, I'm still getting over Covid. And yes, this is definitely going to be the last video I shoot today. After doing the intro to this video, I had to step away to have an epic coughing fit. My mom used to say, your brain is only one organ in your body. You got to listen to all of them. My body is saying enough now. Or my voice is definitely saying enough now. So this one video and then back to resting. As I mentioned in the opening, we gotta talk about performative activism because, and I accept we talk about cultural lens all the time on my channel, that you see the world through your cultural lens and it's made up of the things you've been taught, the things you've been experienced, the things you've seen, the things you've heard. And that my cultural lens as an indigenous woman in Canada is my lens. I will always look at everything as through the eyes of an indigenous woman. Which is why this whole series of videos this year is called Through Indigenous Eyes. It's also the name of my membership program, Just putting it out there. So I will never look at the world as say for example, a white male, European descent. I'm certain they see things that I don't see. That I hope. Heads up, give me a heads up. You know, you can see things that's back to back teaching. You can protect me because you can see the things I can see. But I can see the things you can't see, which is a large part of my career working with non indigenous entities. I share with them how we interpret the poster they just put out or how that process feels to us and why, you know, often even though the intent is not there, their processes and their ways they're doing things, are burning bridges, not building them. Remember, it doesn't require intent to hurt someone. So. And I love doing that work because I know the people I get to work with. The problematic People don't come anywhere near me. And I am so happy for that bubble. Thank you so much. But the people that do work with me, their heart is in the right place. They do want to learn, they do want to do things better, which is why I love my career so much. And I get to help them understand that. Even though you didn't mean anything by that. Holy moly's. Did you send a message? So one of the biggest differences I see between Canadian culture, you know, that Western European type culture, and so many of the indigenous nations, not all of them, because there's so many of them and we are different. Autonomy is a thing. Is humility. Teaching that? I am sorry, through my eyes, there is nothing more attractive than humility. Someone who comes to me and says, you know what? I don't understand, but I'd love to, hello, that bridge is already starting to build. But when I have to go up against someone who's like, why don't they just. Arrogance, that conceit, that degrees, overlived experience, like I talked about last week, that that bridge is either not going to be built or at great risk of burning if it's already there. So every time I see humility, it's like, yes, beautiful. I want to build a bridge with you. And when I see a lack of humility, it's like. And that's where performative activism comes in. So I was online while I'm doing my healing, just cruising around, and I happen to be on LinkedIn, which is of course where US business people hang out. And there were so many pictures taken. Excuse me, Sorry about that. So many pictures taken at so many different events. And I think if you have anything to do with event planning, you'll understand what I mean by this. And I'll show you a picture, me speaking at one event that'll highlight this. You see the banners? So those are the people that have sponsored the event or presenting at the event, and they're saying to the world, see, look, look, I am such a good person. I am supporting this event. Sorry for hitting the microphone. That's not humility. So when our big national banks sponsor an event, you know what? I put a little logo at the bottom of the agenda. Knock your socks off. I don't need to see your big banner. I don't need to see your trade show at an indigenous event. What I need to know from them, the national banks, or any of those big national corporations, often mining companies, like natural resource companies, trying to get the branding points, trying to look good. Let's not talk about what they're doing to Mother Earth, but they sponsored this event. I could go on a tangent here on a rent. I will not for the sake of my voice. But you know what I need to know from them? I don't need to know you sponsored that event. Kudos to you. Whatever, keep doing that. I don't need to know that. I need to know what's going on within your organization. What is happening on your work sites. What efforts have you made there to make it safe for indigenous people to be there? Have you created safe spaces? Have you changed your policies to honor or give indigenous staff people the option to take off indigenous holidays and not just Christian holidays? And did you not make an assumption that they would want to? Did you give us the choice? That's the kind of stuff I want to see. How many indigenous have you hired and. And in what positions? Excuse me? Are they just mainstream or are they actually decision makers? Have you done a safety audit? Have you found out, have you hired indigenous people, like the secret shoppers kind of thing, secret customers to come into your store, your office space, your whatever it is and tell you what it feels like to be there as a brand new indigenous person? And have you acted on what they told you? That's what I want to see. And you can put your logo all freaking over it. I would love to read that. I would love to support you if you've done that work, knowing that you sponsored an indigenous event. That banner is there. That is just performative. Look at me. I did so good. Please give me the brownie points in the same way. Sorry. I am definitely pushing it here. Definitely. Last video, International Women's Day just went by. Hang on. I really want to attempt to finish this video. International Women's Day just went by and I saw so many. Of course there was 5 million celebrating the women. That's fine. Nothing wrong with that. But the posts that got my attention were the guys who posted and said, we're going to honor them today, but you better Honor the women364 other days as well. Today we celebrate achievements and accomplishments. We better support and make room for achievements and accomplishments all the other days too. That's activism and not just performative. In the same way that I complained last year. Don't just wear an orange shirt on September 30th. If you've posted nothing or said nothing or not even had one conversation about indigenous rights or the challenges we face the 364 other days, those are the days that tell me who you are not what you do on the label days, not what you do when your banner is there. Who are you? When you're not telling me who you are, what do your actions show? Let's move away from performative activism and get down to the real stuff. I hope that made sense. I have to go give my voice a break now. I love you. Take care. Bye bye. It.
