Indigenous Canadians: Where to Begin by Abigail Collins

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Episode 11: Reconciliation

Rationale

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

"Reconciliation." Telling Our Twisted Histories, CBC Podcast, 2 Aug. 2021. www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/906-telling-our-twisted-histories.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

I chose to include the episode Reconciliation from CBC's podcast Telling Our Twisted Histories by Kaniehtiio Horn Mohawk First Nation to my mixtape because it talks about contemporary and historical issues. In this episode, they tackle reconciliation, what it is and what we can do. For some people who aren't Indigenous, they take reconciliation the wrong way. They think that they have to give something up so that Indigenous peoples can get justice for what they went through on their land, but this isn’t the case. People don't need to give up anything; it's quite the opposite. This episode does a good job at describing this concept and helps people understand what they can do to help with reconciliation as well as goverment duties.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Rationale

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Forester, Brett. "‘A band without land’ no more: After 230-year fight, Caldwell First Nation secures reserve." National News, 27 Nov, 2020. www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/a-band-without-land-no-more-after-230-year-fight-caldwell-first-nation-secures-reserve/

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

I chose this article about Caldwell First Nation Reserve by Brett Forester from the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation to include in my mixtape because it addresses post-colonial concerns. The first way it addresses postcolonial concerns is how the main point of the article is how this group has been fighting for their land for the past 2 centuries and just now have they got it. As someone who is frequently in Leamington, I didn't really know anything about Caldwell First nation till 2020 when they got the rights to their land, even though they are the closet reserve to us. I believe that this article is important for anyone to read, but expressly for someone who is from around here, because I bet most people either didn't know about the Caldwell First nation or didn't know how long and hard they've been fighting for what is theirs.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

When it comes to learning about sensitive topics, many people tend to shy away so that they can live in an ignorant bliss, but this ends today! In this mixtape, you're going to get 5 starting things that you can look into to learn more about Indigenous Canadians, a group so often forgot, but is the basis of our country. First, I included a poem by Cheri Jubinville entitled “My First Count” because it discusses land issues that Indigenous peoples face. Then, I chose a podcast episode from ‘Telling Our Twisted Histories’ called RECONCILIATION because reconciliation is something that is a large issue that too many people don't know about. Next, I added an amazing show called Reservation Dogs, this not only teaches people how it's like to live on a rez, but also has some comedy sprinkled throughout. The most important thing that I added was a local article that everyone should read so that they know what's happening near them. Finally, I added a novel called A Snake Falls To Earth which has 2 different indigenous perspectives throughout. I hope this collection opens your mind to learn more about Indigenous peoples, and that you can broaden your views of the world and the people in it.

1 introductory sentence to the collection as a whole
1 sentence for each artifact with a rephrased or more personal / conversational reason for including it
- I chose [x] because...
- [x] is included because...
- [x] is a great example of....
- I also included [x] since it....
1 closing sentence that says your overall goal for the collection

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

https://www.sfu.ca/lovemotherearth/02poetry/tea_and_bannock.pdf

Rationale

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Jubinville, Cheri. "My First Count." Tea and Bannock Stories: First Nations Community of Poetic Voices, page 37.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

I chose My First Count by Cheri Jubinville from the Enoch Cree Nation to include in my mixtape because it uses very moving visual imagery to convey messages. When reading this poem, you see that the first few lines go “Are the fish with mercury? / And northern lands are filled with coal dust from industries all around home” (2-3). These lines illustrate how these lands that used to be where Indigenous peoples and nature thrived together, are now these polluted places because of colonization. There's another line that says, “Nobody will say anything for fear for their jobs” (6). I love this line because it's calling people out who say that they wish they could do more but then still continue to support people that are the contributors to problem. I think this poem is good to read because it puts into perspective what Indigenous people have and still go though, and the final line is super important to have a long thought about.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Rationale

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

Reservation Dogs. Danis Goulet, Blackhorse Lowe, FX Productions, 9 Aug, 2021. www.imdb.com/title/tt13623580/

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:39:01 UTC

I chose the show Reservation Dogs, created by Sterlin Harjo of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma to include in my mixtape because it helps humanize reserve life and shows people real life struggles in a cometic way. Rez Dogs is one of those shows that is super funny, but also addresses serious issues that impact Indigenous communities unlike any other show. Specifically, it addresses the suicide epidemic on reserves. The way that the show portrays this isn't seen in other types of media and Indigenous peoples that have watched the show have said that it is one of the best depictions of ‘Rez Life’ out there.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:40:34 UTC

Rationale

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:40:42 UTC

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:40:53 UTC

Little Badger, Darcie. A Snake Falls To Earth. Levine Querido, 2021.

collinsabigail316 — 2024-05-17 13:41:01 UTC

I chose ‘A Snake Falls To Earth’ by Darcie Little Badger of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas to include in my mixtape because it uses etuaptmumk, the act of two eyed seeing. This whole book is written in 2 different perspectives that change every other chapter, and they both come from an Indigenous perspective. This is important to read because it can help people remember that one group of Indigenous people can be vastly different from another, and that we can't just always clump them together when discussing issues they face. I feel as though this is something that happens a lot when Indigenous peoples come into a conversation, because even right now I’m using an umbrella term ‘Indigenous’ which groups so many different people together. Having this book reminds us that we need to remember that groups differ.