What Releasing the Buffy Sainte Marie Short Reminded Me Of ...

So this is kind of different. On the weekend, I really. I was sitting on my couch and I remembered that I had seen in the news that the Governor General of Canada pulled Buffy St. Marie's Governor General Award. And I had wanted to comment on that. Life got busy. I didn't mention it in a video. So I thought, you know what? I'll just shoot a short, put it out to the universe. I totally forgot my following's fascination with either Buffy Saint Marie Pretendians in general or both. Yeah, as of this morning, I think, well, it's like 1700 views on TikTok on YouTube, like over 600 views, which doesn't sound a lot, but for me that is a lot because my audience is very small. It's Canadian specific by Canadian people. But seeing the reaction and more, reading the comments reminded me of some things. That's what I want to talk about today. So let's talk about it. Boo Misko Pagan Andishnikas Mang Dodem. Hi, everybody. My name is Sandy Boucher. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, a proud member of Seine River First Nation and Treaty 3 territory in northern Ontario. And reconciliation is my world. Every single day I work to bring Indigenous and Canadians together to reconcile our country. I believe that if we actually did stand back to back, like I was talking about yesterday, with mutual respect for different worldviews, that Canada could actually fly to heights it's never even seen before. That it could benefit from two worldviews and centuries of wisdom and practical knowledge. But that would require some people to put their egos down. So for the meantime, I have work to do. So as I mentioned in the opening, on the weekend, I released a short just highlighting my thoughts and feelings on the rescinding of Buffy St. Marie's Governor General Award. First and foremost, thank you to all of the people that took the time to watch it or took the time to comment. I hear you. I saw you. I appreciate you for the most part. But as I mentioned in the opening, I wanted. It reminded me of a couple of things and that's what I wanted to speak to today. For one, and you have heard me mention before, that there are so few safe spaces for indigenous people in this country. And what I mean by a safe space, space is a place that we can go into where we're not going to have to listen to the idiots. We're not going to have to hear the racial slurs. We're not going to have to hear the jokes that aren't funny. I was thinking about it this morning that if you were to have a gathering at your house and you invite your indigenous friend, for one, don't invite them if you can't guarantee that space is safe. Two, why would you invite a friend into an unsafe space? And three, why are you hanging out with people that would make it an unsafe space? That tells me a lot about who you are. And it's not inconvenient, it's decent. You wouldn't want the people you care about to be someplace where they're attacked. If you honestly, genuinely care about your indigenous friend, don't invite them into that space. Space. And of course, yes, that applies to other groups and, you know, other religions, lgbtq, whatever the case may be. This channel, we focus on Indigenous Canadian reconciliation. So that's the lens I speak to. I bring that up today because unless I haven't said it in a while, I. To me, you would think it's kind of obvious. It's not, I guess, to some. My YouTube channel, my Facebook page, any conversation that I'm a part of or I'm going to overhear is going to be a safe space for indigenous people. Like I've said before, if you get really good at creating safe spaces, eventually you become a safe space. I am a safe space. Nobody's going to say diddly squad around me and not get called out for it, because that's just ludicrous. If there's one rule I'm adamant about, it is that my YouTube channel, my LinkedIn profile, my Facebook personal page, I don't have a biz page anymore. Zuckerberg, er, they're safe spaces for indigenous people. Which means if some troll wants to come on my channel and say something against indigenous people, something that an indigenous person would read and may be hurt by, guess what? That comment is not staying. And depending on how awful it was, that person may be Ben from my channel. Now, in case you didn't realize, on YouTube, like I'm monetized on YouTube, you actually help me earn a living and reach more people by watching my videos. And the more comments or the more views, the more money I make. So it seems counterintuitive. Why would I delete the comment then? I'm hurting myself because I'm not here for the money. Do you want to? If I was doing this for the money, there are easier ways to make money than to do this and to deal with that. So that is never going to be a reason I do things. And actually that is the reason for so many of the problems I can Think of different corporations I've worked with where they are interested in the bottom line and the dollars. I wish they were as interested in making sure all of their employees were expected to work in what's a safe space. So if you saw a comment and then it disappeared, that would be why. And while we're on the topic, this comment kind of broke my heart. And you're not going to be able to see it because I deleted the two. I told you, if someone says something that could hurt indigenous people, it's not going to stay. Even if the comments from indigenous, there was a comment that. And they're not going to see this because they've been removed from the channel. But there was a comment that was the epitome of assimilation. Bought the bs, bought what was fed to us. This person commented that they were indigenous, but they were raised not to ask for handouts and not expecting people to lift them up. And they'd never expected anything. And it broke my freaking heart. Because part of assimilation is making indigenous people feel guilty for their half of a contract. The contracts are the treaties and I don't see non indigenous people feeling guilty about the land they're using. But somehow we're supposed to feel guilty about the broken promises. The fact that we get some basic subpar education support but we don't get the same education support that every other student gets. The fact that we don't have health services where we live. Right, but we're supposed to feel guilty about even asking for those bare minimums. Baloney. Unpack that. That is a bunch of baloney. Robinson Huron just won a huge court case because we agreed to share the resources. Canada agreed to compensate us fairly. $4 a year per person is not compensating us fairly considering what they make on the resources. So again, what releasing that video reminded me of is there are people with the audacity to come into someone else's space, like my YouTube channel, and spit out their garbage, which blows my mind. I can imagine these people would also be willing to walk into your house and do that. In the words of my mom, make sure that's the last time they're in your house. To me, it's the utter disrespect of it all. And we get accused for being uncivilized. Okay, now to mad end, unfortunately, like I am a huge advocate of coping skills. I raise my kids to expect the negativity, to expect the attacks, to cherish the people that don't do that. But don't be caught off guard if it happens. Make sure to develop the skills you need to be able to handle that stuff. I also taught them that their value wasn't in the hands of someone else, which is easier said than done, because in Canada, it's like the message is reinforced constantly that Indigenous are less than, that somehow we're not as valuable, as respectable, as successful. A whole bunch of crap. So I want to end off today by reminding anyone who's marginalized, but again, speaking to the indigenous, that you become what you take in and you can control what the world tries to feed you, but you do control what you feed you. I couldn't do the work I do if I hadn't overcome my own oppression. And I'm constantly unpacking and decolonizing and making sure I'm sitting in a healthy place. But I also feed myself. And I've shared quotes I use and songs I use on a regular basis to offset that negativity. The kind that showed up in my comments so that it doesn't hurt me and I can remember my value even when someone else can't see it. So what I wanted to share, and I've shared this before, what is this called? Fight Song by Rachel Platon. So it is one of the songs I listen to on a regular basis. I'll put a link in the description box, but I listen to this daily, not even kidding. It is part of my morning routine and I wanted to go through the lyrics with you to explain to you why it's not just an empowering song. I mean, the words. Words are important. The words you say are important. Are you tearing someone down or building someone up? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Words matter. And by the way, be part of your own solution. So the song starts out like a small boat on the ocean sending big waves into motion to me. Humility, teaching. I am one person, one small little person in the big scheme of things. But if I release one short, little short, where I say one sentence that resonates and maybe that gets passed on to someone else and someone else, then that's the ripple that becomes the wave. Be careful. The words you put into motion today, like how a single word can make a heart open, that I tried to do with every video and every speech I give and every seminar and workshop, reaching someone who doesn't understand and trying to open their heart so they do understand what we're going through. I might have only one match, but I can make an explosion. To me, that is, I might only have one shot at this this may be my only video that you watch. I may speak to an audience, and the people in that audience may never see or hear from me again. I'm taking the shot. I might only have one match, but I can make a difference. I can make an explosion. And all those things I didn't say were wrecking balls inside my brain. Every single indigenous person out there can relate to that. Any marginalized person, any person who bit their tongue until they're bleeding because they didn't want to deal with the backlash, but they knew in their soul that they should have said something. Say something. It hurts way more not to. I will scream them out tonight. Can you hear my voice this time? That's for the old me that didn't have a voice that no one heard, that suffered in silence. Silence is acceptance. I do not accept anymore. I do not accept horrible comments. I do not accept attacks. I accept conversations and respectful questions, not the negative stuff. Excuse me. So this is my fight song, my take back my life song. Prove I'm all right song. My power is turned on starting right now. I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song. And that's I do every single morning. I don't really care if nobody else believes that, because I've still got a lot of fight left in me. And that, I think, is so key for marginalized people, because like I said, it is so easy to find the people that don't believe in us, find the people that do. Be a person who does believe in you. Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep Everybody's worried about me in too deep say I'm into deep. I'm in too deep. That's every one of my loved ones who wishes I would just go find a day job because of the attacks, because of the ugly ideal with silence is acceptance. So, no. No. It's been two years. I missed my home, but there's a fire burning in my bones. Still believe yeah, I still believe. So I don't miss my home anymore because I actually moved back to my home. But, yeah, there's a fire in my soul to be doing this every single day. Everything. It's like, okay, that audience, that went good. I think they heard me next. What can I do in this next video? What can I say to reopen that heart, to reach that person? And then it just repeats. I have a lot of fight left in me. Like a small boat in the ocean sending big waves into motion. Like how a single word can make a heart open. I might have only one match, but I can make an explosion. Use your voice, say your words, be respectful, don't attack, but don't be silent. Especially if you're marginalized. Do not buy the bs. You are not less than your words are valuable. As I said in the video last week, just because the students haven't shown up yet doesn't diminish the value of your teachings. And just because someone else can see your value, their vision problem is not your value problem. That is so important to hang on to as a marginalized person because there are gonna be the ugly out there and guess what? They are feeling overwhelmed and powerless which is why they attack. So I'd rather say a prayer for them and boot them off my channel so they can't do any harm. I'm not going to hate on them because then that gives them too much power and too much space. In my world I have work to do dealing with trolls who want to attack. I don't work with disrespectful people. You come at me with disrespect, you can go off in your corner and figure out how to talk to me nicely. And when you do come back and you have a better tone and attitude, of course I'll answer your questions. But non indigenous education can't be at the price of indigenous pain. No, I'm not a target. I'm here to help. No attacks, just conversations like we talk about it every single day. I hope that made sense again. Thank you so so much for watching that short. Obviously people were interested in it. I love the comments from the indigenous who thanked me for sharing my words. A couple times I got thanked for my wisdom. That's an age thing. It warmed my heart. And yes there were a couple negatives but they do not outweigh the positives. Until tomorrow. I love you. Take care. Bye bye. Are you done wasting money? Are you done losing the contracts? Have you realized that your indigenous engagement game just isn't up to what it should be for the benefit of you, your company, your non profit, your municipality. Are you done guessing why that relationship ended or why that community so upset set with you? Have you been bcr'd out of a community? All of it is possible without the proper training. And just when you get your team trained, you hire someone new. You can't afford to keep sending everyone to the same training. Isn't it time you got your onboarding program up to snuff? I have just what you need. Check it out on my website.