On this day a gathering of numerous indigenous and non indigenous people gathered together to acknowledge the children that were killed in the genocidal residential schools created by the Canadian government and instituted by christian church entities.
My wife and I are elders and were unable to participate in the walk that day but our granddaughter did and we were to meet her at the Woodland Cultural Center, a former residential school site, as the walk concluded. My wife drove our granddaughters car to the Woodland Cultural Center and I waited for their return at the Brantford Civic Center where the walk had commenced.
While awaiting their return I thought I would turn on the local CKPC 1380 radio station and perhaps find information on the progress of the walk. Note that this day was marked as a day of mourning for our stolen children. The information I found broadcasting on CKPC 1380 profoundly impacted me as the christian rhetoric expressed a continuance of the invasive and oppressive christian ideology inherent to the residential schools.
I listened for approximately five minutes and with distain I turned off the radio. I could not believe the content of the broadcast. The estimated broadcast time was near 1:30 pm.
A woman of unknown christian capacity recounted that she has been to 61 reservation communities to spread the christian doctrines. At one of the sessions she said that an Indigenous man recounted how he had been pushed by a teacher while he was imprisoned at a residential school. Apparently he has carried this trauma all his life but he has now forgiven that transgression and he is well again. Not raped, not beaten, not starved, no needle shoved through his tongue, not used as a animal toiling in the fields. He was pushed.
The preacher lady went with this healing event as a point that “all is well”. Forgiven. Forgotten. Get past the transgressions. More for her than any indigenous person.
The next christian rhetoric to be expressed spoke of six indigenous communitities with no church presence and that preachers were afraid to attend. The reason stated was that there was so much witchcraft they were afraid for their safety. Does this sound a little like Salem massachusetts where in the name of christianity they tied people to a stake and burned them while still alive. Atrocities in the name of christian self righteousness. Any intelligent person would easily surmise that the reference to witchcraft was perhaps made to the practice of traditional indigenous beliefs. A tactic well known from the christian playbook.
There is much that will unfold in the near future as Church and State are brought to accounting for the genocidal policies regarding the indigenous peoples of North America.
To those Six Nations businesses that are advertising on CKPC 1380 I would suggest that you consider cancelling your advertising for the Month of July 2021.
There cannot be any reconciliation without truth and justice for our children. CKPC 1380 should reign in their content to the reality of today.
Teyonhawe, A. Miller, B.A. Indigenous Languages. Six Nations.
Hello Mr. Miller. I am the woman you wrote about and the story I was sharing happened in 2017 during my own journey of discovering the horrible legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery and the Indian Act. My desire is to walk in the opposite spirit of my ancestors which was the acquisition of lands & resources while destroying the very people who lived and cared for that very land. My heart is to live life as your ally, your sister and one who champions you and the First Peoples of this land. Hope our paths will cross. Regards Bev Hadland
I am the woman you are referring to in your article.