Sandi L Boucher, Anishinaabe kwe of Seine River First Nation, shares a raw blog post called "The White Jacket" at a seminar, shaking as she reads it aloud. After 13 years of advocacy work, she prays to be heard about Indigenous pain and the urgent need for change.
Questions this video answers
Seine River First Nation (Treaty 3 Territory)
13 years
Chapters
Have you ever had a moment where you just decided to leave it all on the line? You knew you had one shot, you were taking off all the barriers and armor and just giving it your all. Complete and total vulnerability. Well, that's what I did. And the results kind of surprised me. Hello again, it's Sandy Boucher here. Mishko Poconon, Kwei Ningdish Lakhas Mung Dodam. 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 today's why video, which was the White Jacket Part one. So another seminar that I did recently, not the same one I was talking about yesterday. And this group, like, I just decided going in that I was going to lay it all on the line, that I have always set the bar, that I need to give them everything they need to go on without me. I need to make sure that the seminar is worth their time. And I have an amazing track record, so no worries. But this one, it was like, guys, I need you to hear me. Like, we can't. This slow process of non indigenous people is costing us indigenous lives, like I was talking about yesterday. So I need to get more blunt, I need to get more clear so that people understand change has to happen now. So at different points during the seminar. And again, the full blog post is below this video. I. At different points during the seminar, I just kind of really. And I'm never about attacking. I'm not about shame or guilt. My hashtag is I create safe spaces. I mean, that's not it. But if I share with you, we can't talk about reconciliation without talking about pain. Can we get crystal clear on that? It hurt indigenous people. Indigenous people are hurting. It's. It's emotional. It's not a conversation, Right? And you got to get comfy with that or else you're not even on the right boat. So at different points during the seminar, I had shared my truth and the truth of people that had been shared with me and I had permission to share. But what happened? And this happens every now and then, I think, you know, I write every single day. I'm definitely an author first. That's where the blog posts come from. And I had written a blog post the night before that had just come to me, and it was called the White Jacket. And it was very, very vulnerable and very honest authenticity to the nines. And what I had decided was I was going to end the seminar by sharing that blog post. Now it was brand new. Meaning I was reading it from my phone. I had sent it to my graphic designer to turn it into a print so that you could get your hands on it if you wanted to. And if you want to, just send me an email. You will actually see it tomorrow. Then you can decide. But what I. I didn't have that at that point because it was brand new. But I had the image. I knew the image she was going to put on the print. So at the opportune time I was reading it and I flashed up the image. And what caught me off guard was I was shaking. I have been doing this work for 13 years. I'm considered by most, including myself, to be a strong woman, a strong human being, a strong Anishinaabe kwe. And I was shaking. It was like. The only thing I can related to is if you're sitting in front of someone you love and trying to explain to them that you're hurting and you're praying to your God that they hear you. And that's what it felt like in this moment. This is not a blog post that I want you to cheer me on. I don't need comments on how great the writing is. I need you to hear me. So that's what today's blog post is about. The. That. That seminar and that experience tomorrow. I actually have the blog post for you. The actual. The one I had written the day before the seminar. That's the white jacket, part two. You're gonna want to see that. Until tomorrow. I hope that made sense. What did you think? Have you been in those moments? I would love to hear your stories. Please comment below. Let me know what you think of the blog post. Let me think. Let me know what you thought of this video. Is there something you're curious about in the Indigenous non Indigenous relations department? Ask your question. I will always respond. Until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye Bye.
