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Last week was the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, followed by the International Day of Seniors on October 1. September 30 is supposed to shed more light and attention on Indigenous peoples, residential school survivors, and those who never returned home. On the occasion of International Elders Day, three Indigenous Elders shared with us their thoughts, feelings, and necessary calls for action.Suikioko St Pauline Terbasket is a proud member of the Syilx Nation. The territory of the Syilx forms a magnificent landscape of great diversity: deserts, lakes, alpine forests and meadows. This cross-border territory extends from Washington State to the Okanagan region of British Columbia.
Terbasket woke up on September 30 feeling like she was getting up to prepare for a memorial or funeral. Added to this feeling was “knowing that there are many people who want to take action all over Turtle Island,” she says. She went over all of her plans for the day. Although her office at the Okanagan Nation Alliance is closed for the day, she imagines that for many, it is a day like any other. By browsing his news feed on Facebook, as every morning, a flood of “orange” messages honoring the survivors of residential schools. The stream of posts indicated the following message: “I am here because my parents/grandparents survived residential schools.” A testimony caught his attention. “It said, “I am here because my ancestors were so beautiful.” My tears flowed,” says Suikioko St Pauline Terbasket. The strength of this message captures the full extent of the situation.
“Through the fog of dispossession, stolen children, violence, poverty, internalized distress from self, others, and the world. However, they are so beautiful, courageous, and determined — — for their own health, for the love of their families, for their homes, for their lands, for their people.”
Suikioko St Pauline Terbasket then thought about what her own message would be, entitled “I'm here.”
“I am here because I have been loved, and I am grateful to be able to advocate for social justice, change, and how brilliant we all are,” she says.
Terbasket does not only consider its nation, but the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island and around the world. “To be given another day to live today, so that I can remember and never forget what Indigenous peoples have endured for generations and for generations to come.”
Terbasket says that September 30 is “so as not to forget that he needs to do a lot more. The act was, and still is, genocide. There will be no more genocide.” She reflects on the fact that the federal government has established a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “Whose truth? Who needs reconciliation? asks Terbasket. “The days designated as “official” are far from achieving a just society for indigenous peoples, colonists, and colonial governments one day, because it is an external measure.” Terbasket highlights the many degrees of self-work that are required for transformation, whether at work, in personal life, and/or in daily activities. To ease their mind, she suggests that people recharge their batteries on the land and participate in ceremonies.
Photo: Shushan Vardanyan
Mabel Nipshank, a Cree and Métis elder, is a long-time dedicated activist known for her work raising housing awareness with the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre Vancouver. She looks at the impact of the destruction of the matriarchal system by colonialism, more specifically, the normalization of violence against women. In her book, “Aboriginal women: no rights to land or children,” she discusses the establishment of additional barriers for women seeking custody and access rights. Controlling the flow of emotions, the Cree/Métis elder Mabel Nipshank evokes the contrast in the magnitude of the phenomenon.
“The large-scale destruction, against a date officially declared a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is a disgrace, another slap in the face,” she says. Her thoughts are with the “Indigenous communities that have been so badly affected — beyond any reparation.”
Photo courtesy Kukdookaa Terri Brown.
The territory of the Tahl-tan Nation covers a vast area of northwestern British Columbia, 95,933 square kilometers. This is equivalent to 11% of the province, and includes the Stikine watershed. Kukdookaa Terri Brown is a member of the Crow clan of the Tahl-tan nation.
She held the position of leader of her people and was also president of the Native Women's Association of Canada. During her six years with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, she has heard numerous stories of children who have disappeared or who have not returned from residential schools. “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means that we are recognized in this country for human rights violations and genocide,” says Kukdookaa.
As such, she says that this day should be an opportunity to remember “those who were unable to return home and those who survived.” Kukdookaa calls for action by building on her respected elder path. “We need to move from memory to action.
End racism, sexism, poverty, and injustice in all its forms. We are still here,” she says. “We need to be relentless in everything we do to move towards and contribute to a more just society.”