Thread by @peggybe_oonujut

Usually i take in stride my genocide. It is truly astonishing but did not reflect that it was NOT normal. i ASSUMED that all folks are attending funerals at the same rate that i do (by extension with my husband @rick_joe_Lilwat) . I wish to share a (typical) moment /1

I was at a GRAD dress rehearsal. I was busy with the planning and the anxiety of cool folks that are worried about getting things awesome. i was asked questions of clarification of which i answered to the best of my ability. It is that time of year for educators /2

I received a phone call that i let to go to voicemail, you know, im busy with the cool folks. When there was a moment i listened to voicemail and dutifully returned phone call. It was a car dealership/financer. They were following up on my nephew's information. If i finance/3

with them, then my nephew gets $500! I listened for a bit and began to cry. He has taken his life in the interim. Adults see me crying and signal if i am okay, i respond, yes, i am okay. Meanwhile, back to phone conversation, /4

Me, as respectful as possible, I'm sorry but that person is dead, he took his own life in the winter time. the person on the phone, doing their job, was hugely apologetic and shared their condolences as best as possible. I felt for them, but could not help them due to all MY/5

TEARS. Usually i do not cry but for some reason have taken up crying in this last year. i personally have made it my goal to be authentic with my emotions this year for whatever reason. maybe it is because i am a grandmother now, i don't know yet /6

My nephew took his own life & before that sent along my info to finance his car. I saw only his sweet face when he said "Hi Auntie" and hugged me. I had mistakenly forgotten him. I had pushed away or down my grief so i could carry on with my professional life so i could work/7

I have sacrificed my emotional landscape to be seen as "strong" or "knowledgeable" or "credible". i have pushed away my heartache so not to be seen as "emotional", or (my secret nightmare) "WEAK" or "WHINY". I know our stereotypes /8

Since wintertime we have 3 BEAUTIFUL family members that have gone because they took their own lives. We have others that have passed due to health challenges and our dear ELDERS that leave us too (of which i take VERY personally) /9

Don't get me started on the ELDERS that leave us!!!! (im so mad at them, yes, my human-ess shows there too. Because HOW DARE THEY!). So, here we are loving our family that seem to be RUSHING off from us, year after year, heartache after heartache. /10

Our children are dying, our DEAR family members are leaving us. I have mistakenly kept it to myself. I have kept it secret, shhhh. But now i am emboldened by Cindy Blackstock to say, WE ARE IN OUR GENOCIDE. i have been trained, to keep going and so I shall ( we shall). /11

#ResilienceInGenocide #MyMumsAMatriarch #MyMumShowedMeWhatToDo
Because we do not see it yet, we shall build it our own damn selves. We shall make those spaces if it kills us of which it may. We wept and then we kept going. Why? B/C my canoe coach showed me how (& really... /12

...what options do we have?

/13 and LAST!
#GenocideReallyKindaSucks
#NationalAboriginalDayMeansWhatNOW ???????? b/c now you know.....

oh, p.s. you have my full permission to RT