Laws of Matriarch

I’ve moved back home a few times, and each time I found myself back in Vancouver. I think a lot of people trying to make it here in Vancouver face similar struggles with transitioning. I’m thinking about starting a project that mirrors those immigrant settlement programs, the ones that offer help with temporary housing, financial support, and access to social services. Transitioning can be tough for everyone, and sometimes we need those opportunities to help us get by and thrive. We all deserve support as we navigate these changes in our lives. In addition to the challenges faced by immigrants, it's important to recognize the unique and often dire circumstances that refugees endure. Many refugees arrive in Canada fleeing from regions where they have experienced or witnessed horrific acts of violence, oppression, and even genocide. They escape persecution, conflict, and systemic atrocities in search of safety and a chance to rebuild their lives.  For instance, the ongoing conflict ...

I’m feeling like I’m losing myself to the hatred and racism that society throws at us. It’s hard to find support for Aboriginal people who are brown and have accents, and often, it’s not even coming from our own community. You ever notice how you hardly hear Indigenous accents in local workplaces? Up here on the North West Coast, our accents are deep and rich, carrying the weight of our culture. In this society, the preference is clear—white skin is the standard. There’s a long history of hiring practices that favor white skin and Euro accents, and it continues today. You see Indigenous folks being hired, but many of them don’t have the same lived experiences or connections to our traditions. A lot of them are self-identified as Aboriginal, Métis, or classified under Canada’s Indian Act, but they don’t always embody what it means to be truly Indigenous. Our traditional laws follow the Laws of the Matriarch; if your mother is Aboriginal, then you are too. It’s a law based on respect fo...

Echoes of Gitxsan Spirit When I was just a little one, between the ages of three and six, I would hear the sweet sounds of the Gitxsan language drifting through the air in the Hall at Gitwangak. But strangely, it always fell silent when the Indian Agent came around. Those moments felt heavy, as if the very walls held our stories, yet we had to hide them like precious treasures. Even after the laws changed, life carried on the same for the Indian Agents. It reminds me of how things are today, when the RCMP still come to charge our people for practicing our traditions and honoring our culture on our unceded lands. During the Christian celebrations, our gatherings would transform into secret Potlatches—what we called Bit’latzch—though outsiders would refer to them as “feasts,” a term more palatable to their ears. I remember winter nights filled with warmth and laughter, where one tribe would serve soup, and a Santa would visit, though gifts were scarce and only given to some. My cou...

My Gitxsan culture and spirituality have always been a part of my upbringing, even if I didn’t fully realize it until I was in my 20s. As a young child entering elementary school, I was punished for speaking my language, and I faced discipline for many things I didn’t understand. I can’t say I learned much during my time in elementary or high school. In fact, I found most subjects easy and often wondered why others struggled with math, even though I ended up failing everything. Both of my parents attended Indian Residential School, and because of that, I carry the intergenerational impacts of those experiences.  What does that mean?  It means there’s a lot of work to do in mending the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people living on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples in Canada and North America. Until we start working on these relationships and take action to improve things for future generations, not much will change. My life has been about ...

I am writing to share my experience of having my grandson in the care of MCFD. I hope my story provides some insight and helps you understand the process better. As you may know, my grandson has been apprehended by the ministry and is currently in temporary foster care. This is a reality that many Aboriginal children face, and it’s a painful experience for families like mine. I currently have my older grandson living with me under MCFD coverage, labeled as "child in home of a relative." I am subject to random home checks and Criminal Record Checks every few years, the last one being about seven months ago. Despite this arrangement, every child must go through the same "Out of Care Options Assessment." Unfortunately, this assessment can take a long time—anywhere from six months to two years—depending on the availability of the social worker. Right now, the social worker assigned to me has 71 files to manage. I met with my new social worker, Betty C., on November 19,...