Dear Editor:
Many years ago, when news that native children had been mistreated at residential schools across Canada, I said nothing except, perhaps, to friends and acquaintances.
Later, when story after story of missing and murdered Indigenous women occupied most nightly newscasts, again, I had nothing useful to contribute.
A few years ago, acting on a genuine impulse to learn, my wife and I attended a series of lectures about First Nations people and their culture and treaty rights, offered by Third Age Learning at the University of Guelph. Two years ago, I volunteered to edit an anthology of writings by First Nations students and faculty members at Seneca College, but through both experiences, I remained largely unengaged and, to be blunt, only marginally sympathetic to Aboriginal issues and to the growing entreaties for justice made by First Nations leaders to various governments.
Small wonder that when I reached out to a friend this week for some guidance on what role there might be for a white male in his 70s to play, no matter how small, in the wake of revelations that the burial of hundreds of native children who attended residential schools had been, at the very least callously and possibly at the very worst criminally, covered up, her response was curt and dismissive. I guess she figured I had it coming. I guess I have to agree, having a history of saying title and doing less to demand justice for Canada’s Native peoples.
Nevertheless, my friend did connect me with someone who gave me what I think is excellent advice. And so, I pass it along to anyone else who, like me, may have finally awakened to the systemic injustices that have been visited upon the First Nations people of Canada, and who want to help in a way that is both practical and acceptable to Native people.
My adviser is an Aboriginal man who was born in northern Ontario. He’s an expert in First Nations governance with decades of experience advocating for northern communities. His advice? Write letters.
I understand that a concentrated letter-writing campaign – by an individual or by a group – can lead to action. Anyone who reads this can write to the prime minister, to the premiers, to federal and provincial cabinet ministers, to members of the shadow cabinets at both the federal and provincial level.
We all can write letters to the editors of various newspapers and to the national leaders of our various mainstream churches – particularly to the leaders of those churches that were involved in residential schools.
The tone needn’t be strident or angry, but it should be insistent. We should make it clear that we expect action, that we expect justice for First Nations people and that we’re not asking!
Bob Cooper,
Elora