Today is Orange Shirt Day, and marks the first time for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation for Canada. The last few months have been eye opening, heart wrenching and also the most informative of my indigenous background, I have learned so much in the last few months, than I have learned in the previous 46 years of life. I come from the Kitaumkalum band, which is part of the Ts'msyen Nation, and I am part of the Gisbutwada (Killerwhale) clan. My indigenous family, comes from Prince Rupert or in Lax Kw'laams. My father Cecil, was taken and sent to the Port Alberni residential school, as were my uncle's and cousins; my grandparents went elsewhere. Over these last few months, I have had a lot of conflicting emotions, for reasons only known to the ancestors, I have been feeling an immense guilt that I never went to residential school, that because I was raised by my non-indigenous mother and my grandparents from her side, I was spared from being taken. But at the same time, I feel guilt that I do not know much of my own heritage and culture, because the residential schools were so freaking effective. I do not know how else to quantify my emotions, I know there has never been a time in my life, where I have cried so much, and I have never been one shy to shed a tear; so that is saying something. I want everyone to take a moment today, learn, listen, respect, and if you can, please wear orange. Gitsmgeelm de wil 'wit waattgm! (We are Kitaumkalum) #Indigenous #IndigenousCanada #IndigenousRise #EveryChildMatters #OrangeShirtDay #NationalDayforTruthandReconcillation (at Maple Ridge, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUcKqzkL26C/?utm_medium=tumblr
