Re: Heritage from the past -- Native Circle

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Date Posted: 16:12:29 08/26/10 Thu
Author: Wava Fox (hopeful)
Subject: Re: Heritage from the past
In reply to: Susanne 's message, "Heritage from the past" on 06:19:03 12/27/09 Sun

Wachayai, Suzanne
>
>1. What do you know of the colonization of your
>country?
I waz born 1948...went into residential school system at about age 5. All my siblings experienced some form of the same educational system. I wonder sometimes if the situation was reverse how many moms from dominant society would have let their children go at ages 3,4,5 or 6 years old. And yet this is what happened to my family. We were broken up. Our sense of family and kinship was destroyed.

My parents and grandparents experienced the Christianity phase where they were made to abandon their Spirituality because it was seen as evil. They had to abandon their names and get white man's names. They were forced onto plots of land...when in fact they roamed freely on their traditional territories. They witnessed the decimation of their people to various diseases when the whitemen came to their lands. Half of my siblings were wiped out to various diseases. My mother could no longer be a midwife because it was seen as causing high infant mortality rate...but this rate has not changed. It is still high in this part of the country. Their own form of governance was replaced by what the government wanted. Everything in their lives changed.

Their lands were flooded without informing them. Dams were set up on their traditional lands...causing widespread famine because their fish and wildlife they lived on was affected.
>
>2. What are the present impacts of this event?
Childhood abuses in residential schools has lead to high suicide rates, and every form of addiction. Brainwashing of Christianity has been the hardest to break down. People still think our traditional spiritual ways are evil even though the youth would like these traditional ceremonies come back. But it is difficult when as a child in residential school you were forced to kneel and pray and recite all the Christian biblical verses a few times a day; and at the same time being told your ways were evil and pagan. Through this intensive brainwashing process that happened, it is hard for these adults to undo the damage that was done to them. It was a process of demonizing our sense of identity and results were devastating. You become ashamed of who you are.
>3. What remained of your culture/traditions?
People still live off the land for those that chose to go back home. For most of us that are the survivors of residential school system, we could not live off the land because we were not taught; and lack the skills. We have stayed and lived in urban and rural areas.
I have retained speaking in my language; but the shaming process that took place meant I could not pass on this language to my children.
Youth are displaced living marginally in society: they cannot adequately live in either world: whiteman's world or Aboriginal world.
My people for the most part do not embrace their traditional spiritual ceremonies. They still think it is evil; and people have been run out of my community if they come with their drums or pipes.
>4. Do you still practice your own/former religion?
We do not have a religion. We believe in native spirituality: a belief that everything and everyone has a spirit or energy and as such, everything and everyone is worthy of respect.Where I was born, people have done away with their ceremonies and go to various churches of their choice.
I take part in ceremonies when I have the opportunity.
>5. Are there still prejudices? If yes, what kind?
Prejudices, racism and discrimination still exist. You feel it when you go shopping and you feel these eyes on you because clerks think you are going to steal. We are the commodity. Systems were set up to make monies off our lives. All you have to do is look at the major institutions in Canada. Look at the Department of Indian Affairs set up to provide service to native peoples. It is a huge bureaucracy. Most of the funds pay for the employees and still there is extreme poverty and shortage of housing at First Nations communities. Look at the justice system. Most of the prisoners are Aboriginal people; and changes are not forthcoming...to make it more in tune with Aboriginal ways of doing justice. Why? It is economical...for white people.Our way of doctoring and healing our people was replaced by medical system. It was seen as barbaric and outlawed...banned. Child welfare system is still taking our children and placing them in whiteman's homes. The government did not respect our native parenting ways...irreparable damage done. Every major system is set up to benefit the dominant society.
>6. Feel free to tell me something about your personal
>experiences or opinion.
What can I add except that I spent 10 years being institutionalized and brainwashed. Do you know how it feels to be given the message you are evil and no good because of the colour of skin...and yet I was only 5 years old. People say: get over it. Years of brainwashing has taken its toll on the people and we have passed on these messages to our children, and in turn, my children (now adults) have passed on these messages to their children. I see these children now looking quite depressed, hopeless and helpless. Some are into addictions to forget the pain because they come from homes where there is alcoholism, chemical abuse and violence. Some have simply taken their lives.
>Thanks in advance and I hope to hearing from you.
>
>best regards,

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