I am awake, I am alive and this morning I am going to say something I rarely say …

Thank you, Federal Government.

(I know, I bet you are shocked too!)

Why do I utter such words when the Federal Government has been the perpetrator of pain inflicted on Indigenous peoples for so many, many decades?

The answer – National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Thanks to this declaration, business after business has reached out to me. These bosses do not want to ignore the day (even if they are provincially legislated or private in nature) and they don’t want to just give people a day off. They want to understand, and they want their staff to understand and …

And that is what we as Indigenous people need, we need Canadians to understand what your forefathers did, the systems they put in place that restricted (if not decimated us) while lifting you up. The educational and health supports you were given that we still go without.

And it is good, really good.

This Anishinaabekwe did not envision this day, in all honesty. I am not sure I ever imagined so many non-Indigenous ready to listen and learn, to join us in understanding the true history of this country. But they are, group after group is listening as their understanding grows along with their commitment to be part of positive change.

They are beginning to see and the movement in the right direction is making my heart sing.

Will they make mistakes? Of course. It is a HUGE learning curve after all but we can hold space as they learn just as we ask them to hold space as we heal.

Compassion and humility build bridges and I love that the construction has finally started in earnest.
 

I love you!
HUGSSSSSSSS
Sandi