Thread by @BearheadWally

THREAD - It's time to talk again, because even after #215children, there's a problem, and it seems to be building.

Just in case you didn't see it. Near Brandon, MB, over 100 more children have been found on residential school grounds. This is, again, not surprising to me or my community because we know we have missing family. We have advocated for years for help to find them.

But even though it's not surprising - it still reignites trauma. And while that trauma is being experienced, we are subject to hateful genocide deniers and apologists, people asking what they can do, performative acts without substance, and political grandstanding.

First off, the deniers/apologists. Not surprisingly also racist in the ones I've been directed to. There have always been people who can't see outside their own head in society, what concerns me is they are given voice to spread their hate.

And, in cases closer to home, invited to write and promote curriculum and policies that continue what the Indian Act, Residential Schools, 60s scoop, pass system, and everything else today.

Then there's the people who feel that in addition to having to continually fight for our existence, that we also need to be responsible for explaining it. Non-Indigenous folk who seem genuinely concerned about #215children, as if the TRC, UNDRP, and Commission of MMIWG....

... hasn't already established these things already. Testimonies given, statements made, stories shared.

"What can we do?" is asked repeatedly, as they seek to absolve their guilt in me. I point. The Calls to Action, UNDRIP, Calls to Justice, numerous agreements, treaties, legal precedent cases. It's already out there. If anyone cares to read it.

No. Instead let's make a tweet, wear a coloured shirt, talk about what a shame it is. This is a cycle where the guilt felt by one group is fixed by checking a specific box on a list. I am not surprised that it is usually demonstrated by people who have a history of tithes.

And these acts are good. Great even. But if it's all that is done it is performative only. We've seen the performances over and over and over again. We're tired of them. You may like a show, but you can not have an intimate personal relationship with it.

Politicians tweets and speeches mean nothing if they are still fighting Indigenous kids in court, willing to publically dismiss government employees who write racist curriculum, not coming to the table for meetings and instead sending underlings of the underlings instead.

You can wear the shirts. Bring awareness, though I would hope by now everyone would be aware. But unless you're willing to spend the time to educate yourself so you can educate the racists in your family, and continue to ignore systemic racism, you're not actually helping.

It's not the past. It's my parents, my grandparents, my entire community. It is now and it continues though it changes its form. These graves will continue to be found while we continue to fight for the same things so many take for granted.

And my worry will be that people will see it in the news in the not so distant future, shrug, sadly say "Another one.", and then flip to the sports section. Because we're used to being erased when we're no longer something to be fashionable to speak about.

Because when it's not affecting you, the ones, you love, and the entirety of your existence, it's ignorable. When we're brought up it's because you have a grand idea of what my community can do to solve its problems!

As if your ancestors and predecessors didn't create those problems. What's more is that if I suggest how your community address its own problems, I'm trying to impose my culture on yours.

So I'm in the anger stage of my grief. Clearly. Another angry native man. Add me to the list.

But I hope you're angry too, and I hope you're willing to do something about it.