Oakville Reads discussion
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The Reason You Walk
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Question #1: Truth and Reconciliation
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I think personal accounts are essential. An account like this, where we're told of Wab's father's trauma and the wide reaching impact that's had are especially important. It's not just one family's issue, it's an entire people's issue, and, in the end, an entire nation's problem that wasn't just solved and dealt with when the schools closed. No one likes hearing about things that are unpleasant or that don't have easy answers, which makes it all the more important that these stories are told, heard, and understood.
I haven't managed to get Kinew's book yet but, having spent my teen years in the North, have some experience of what it was like for my aboriginal and Metis school mates and neighbours. Some of those kids were at--or had spent time at--the residential schools in Chip or Fort Smith and, I have to admit, that at the time it seemed like it might be an improvement over living conditions that many of us experienced in Fort McMurray. I believe those schools closed several years after I left and it seemed a mixed blessing. People were poor, food and housing were expensive, and alcohol and its subsequent violence were real problems. At least at the schools, people were sheltered, clothed and got three square meals a day. Even as a kid though, I could see that some of those who had come back home didn't seem to fit in any more. It was an early lesson on how life moves on, even when we're not there, and it's sometimes near impossible to come back home again. It's also been difficult hearing about the abuses that took place back then--Wagamese's Indian Horse is a heart-breaking read in spots--but I'm glad to see that people are finally listening to the stories some of my old friends have to tell.
The recent reports have felt like pageantry. Asking questions like 'will this reconcile our differences' to me just adds to the pathological altruism that prolongs these misunderstandings. By inserting such politically charged language we become distracted and the system is allowed to continue.Personal stories like this are effective for all people, not exclusively Canadians -who often confuse conflict as political and fail to examine the human character in general.
I would put this on the same shelf as survival and escape stories that all seem similar to me in their origin, not of disaster, but victim of circumstance cast as a political prisoner.
Without accountability and the will to move forward to reform the current system these personal stories become counter productive for the public. Instead of inducing shock and outrage that is followed by demands for change it feels like how a third world despot oppresses his people so he can get aid to continue the scam.
Elementary school children are introduced to these tactics at a young age in Canadian history, documenting not only the plight of the Natives and Aboriginal issues to this day but the brutal treatment of the French in Quebec to assimilate. Obviously this deplorable treatment should of been ended a long time ago, yet it continues.
Truth and Reconciliation are noble efforts but nothing in there implies change or breaking the cycle of abuse that has been common throughout Canadian history.
Books like this help us document and understand the plight of people- the same why North Korean defectors stories or Ann Frank illuminate us to the darkness of the past and modern day. They do not however (in most cases) attempt to put forward a history, or other ideas outside of their feels and unique experiences.
If we settle with this then nothing changes, and we continue to have these events each generation.
That said I have not read this book yet. I am interested to learn about the family structure, and society of these communities. There is great diversity among and between tribes so each situation should require their own solutions. I am most interested in seeing how prevalent spanking is plus the role of the head of the house in society.
I think personal accounts are the best thing to help people understand the past, including treatment of indigenous people. As Ann Frank was mentioned above, the most moving stories from WW2 come from personal accounts or stories mirrored after real life situations. Probably why the WW2 genre is still so popular. If we did not have personal accounts coming from those who survived the concentration camps, etc., we would not truly understand the crimes against humanity that occurred. I look forward to reading this book as well!
Mod
Thank you for this unique perspective, Maureen. I hope you'll continue to follow our conversation. I can understand the feeling that at least the children had food, shelter and clothing. But we now know that there was often abuse as well. To be fair, not all residential schools were bad places.
Thanks for mentioning Indian Horse, which is a fictional account of a boy who attended residential schools. This powerful novel is now being made into a movie, which I hope will reach many people.
Mod
Thanks for this interesting perspective. The question we asked was, will stories like this help us to reconcile our differences, so even if it's in a small way, I think the stories are worthwhile.
The stories that have come out of the Truth and Reconcilation Commission meetings have been very powerful. Many people told their stories for the first time, and I think they caught the attention of many Canadians who had never heard of the horrors of residential schools before. That may be a small beginning, but it's a beginning...
Mod
I agree with you, Dana, that personal accounts can be the best way for people to understand the past. Many readers are not interested in reading a historical account of an episode in the past such as the holocaust, but they will read a memoir about that time period. Historical fiction is also important for this very reason.
Mod
Wab Kinew really caught the attention of Canadians when he defended Joseph Boyden's The Orenda on Canada Reads 2015. Because he has become well known outside the indigenous community, he has the ability to be a spokesperson for that community. People are interested in him and he has an important story to tell.
Mod
Beautifully said, Susan. Wab is a smart, storied guy, and his voice is such an important one when considering how much airplay has been recently granted to conversations about the treatment and experience(s) of indigenous people in Canada. He knows that his story is his own, and yet is able to use his story to project the broader struggles of individuals and communities dealing with the aftermath of residential school violence out into the open. Memoir, in this case, is such a powerful tool.
Emily wrote: "Susan wrote: Because he has become well known outside the indigenous community, he has the ability to be a spokesperson for that community. People are interested in him and he has an important stor..."You have also spoken beautifully, Emily. Wab's voice is a powerful and important one where this topic is concerned. He has much clout and influence in this country (and much more, potentially). And as Dana pointed out, the personal account is vital to our understanding of history: without such stories, we would only have one version of an event.
I also see the personal stories much like victim impact statements in a court of law, i.e., it gives a voice to the victims here, and as such an opportunity to be heard, acknowledged, and begin healing. This works both ways, too. As we hear the stories, we also can come to terms with the truth and apologize for what was done (and being done) to the indigenous peoples of Canada. There is a real opportunity here for a brotherhood and sisterhood to form among all of us.
It is my understanding that the truth & reconciliation reports are really just the first step in a process leading to a justice that is restorative, rather than punitive or retributive. There is still such a long way to go...
Allison wrote: "Emily wrote: "Susan wrote: Because he has become well known outside the indigenous community, he has the ability to be a spokesperson for that community. People are interested in him and he has an ..."I agree, Allison. These personal stories matter. It matters that people find ways to articulate experiences that perhaps they weren't even able to understand, let alone find words for, as children. I've been looking at the Truth and Reconciliation Report and it's a highly-readable and accessible account of indigenous families' struggles over the last two hundred years. It's available online at http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitu...
It's just mind-boggling the reach of residential schools then. I had never heard of them before I moved up North in the '60's. (But then, I had never heard of the Beothuk in Newfoundland until I was an adult so there's a lot of our history that wasn't all that transparent back in the day!)
Mod
Thanks so much, Maureen, for the link to the Commission's report. I agree that it's very accessibly written. There are several volumes. I highly recommend the volume of personal stories called "Survivors Speak." It too is online at http://tinyurl.com/pb6s9ag.
It's National Aboriginal Day today and it comes after so much has been written in the past weeks about the Grassy Meadows mercury poisoning, the substandard mental health care and the volumes written to accomplish reconciliation for aboriginal peoples. It's not easy reading by any stretch, any of it.In a column by an OISE prof on the Star's op-ed page, it's suggested that we go further than just name a day in honour of our indigenous people but designate a holiday to celebrate and honour their history and culture. I'm always up for a holiday and this sounds like a positive step to acknowledge the wonderful strength and character of many of the aboriginal and Metis people I've had a chance to know.
Haven't read the book yet and I hope to get it done by month's end!
Maureen wrote: "It's National Aboriginal Day today and it comes after so much has been written in the past weeks about the Grassy Meadows mercury poisoning, the substandard mental health care and the volumes writt..."
Thank you for this reminder about the day, Maureen. I agree with you: a national holiday celebrating indigenous culture would be pretty amazing!
Thank you for this reminder about the day, Maureen. I agree with you: a national holiday celebrating indigenous culture would be pretty amazing!
Stories evoke an emotional response where facts / figures cannot. (right brain, left brain stuff). Although there has been significant press about the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, I continue to be astounded by the number of (well-educated middle class) people who are only vaguely aware of the powerful stories and the report itself. Not everyone reads the news or cares about public affairs, it seems. Wab Kinew's book represents another important channel to reach such folks ... I personally found it so compelling a read that I have recommended it to many. Here's hoping it helps raise the awareness of such an important Canadian issue.
Susan wrote: "Stories evoke an emotional response where facts / figures cannot. (right brain, left brain stuff). Although there has been significant press about the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, I continue..."Thank you for these comments, Susan. It was our goal to honour Aboriginal History month and promote awareness of the important content in TRC reports. Dialogues are important, but self-learning is up to each and every one of us. I hope that others will read the reports at their own pace, and maybe these discussion threads too -- I'd love to hear more comments over the coming months.
Oakville Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Orenda (other topics)Indian Horse (other topics)
The Reason You Walk (other topics)
To what extent do you think such personal accounts can help Canadians understand the truth about our treatment of indigenous peoples and help us to reconcile our differences?