Hello and Welcome!

Greetings!

I am not new to the blogging world, yet I am new to blogging about something deeply complex and personal, something that’s been on my mind and heart for many years – the First Nations people.
I grew up in Winnipeg, MB, a city with a large First Nations population. And I’m married to an amazing man who happens to be OjiCree.

For most of my life the only contact I had with First Nations people was through the intoxicated panhandlers I would encounter downtown. But I knew in my heart that these people couldn’t possibly accurately represent an entire people group. That the stereotypes I was building in my mind were not the truth. I needed to learn more (I am one of those people who believes in the cliché ‘knowledge is power’). So I decided to go and volunteer in a community in the NWT. I lived in Fort Good Hope, a small hamlet of Dene people in the Sahtu Region. It was an eye-opener. It changed my life and worldview. I met so many First Nations people who were so kind, welcoming, knowledgeable and, most importantly, willing to share that knowledge with a complete stranger. That’s when I began to open my mind and heart to a group of people and a way of life that I really knew nothing about. And I can honestly now say I’ve become someone who believes that when it comes to different ways of living and worldviews, First Nations people had, and have, it right. That far before contact with Europeans they knew what they were doing. In order to see and experience this firsthand, all you have to do is attend a Pipe Ceremony, or listen to a drum song, or hear an Elder speak. First Nations culture is wrapped in peace and harmony with the land. They revere their elders. They call for respect on all levels…So what happened? Why are there so many First Nations people lost in the depths of alcoholism, drugs, abuse and despair? Why do so many “white people” see their beautiful Native brothers and sisters as nothing more than lazy beggars looking for handouts, or stuck in the past, constantly blaming the white man for all their problems. Well, that’s what I want to dialogue about in this blog. I’ve learned much about First Nations history. I appreciate and admire the culture and traditions they follow. They have been through so much as a collective and as individuals, and they are still here. So rather than spewing racist hate (on both sides) I believe we should dialogue, learn, grow, acknowledge and embrace our differences, and that’s how unity between such diverse worldviews can begin.