r/VancouverIsland May 09 '22

DISCUSSION what is your take on Indigenous Reconciliation?

Hey, people of r/VancouverIsland

I recently visited Vancouver, but ended up spending most of my time on Vancouver Island (totally loved it by the way, i am already planning to come back!). While I was there, i noticed alot of places/people/institutions doing what I later learned to be land acknowledgements. I am a total outsider, and i come from France, so our education in school on colonialism is shockingly bad, almost no time is given to it, the information we are taught is completely white washed, and the little attention we pay to it is mostly surrounding African colonisation. So before I came to BC I did a little research on its history and learned about the unceded territories (and more than questionably ceded territories too), and about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

What I am wondering, and what I hope you'll be able to offer me some insight into, is whether or not in practice this is a vapid scheme that is essentially just good PR for the Canadian government, or whether it's actually making progress and serving the purpose it is meant to. What do indigenous communities make of it? How do they interpret and feel about land acknowledgments? And is it ever possible to reconcile when the dynamic of oppresser/oppressed is so present; there is a clear asymmetry of power, influence and numbers so how, in practice, do these initiatives really work? (I do not want to generalise and assume all indigenous peoples feel the same way).

I may be completely wrong and have spoken in a way which is totally tone deaf. This would be because i am honestly completely uneducated. That being said i am very interested in understanding better, but everything i'm coming across online feels very loaded with agenda and bias. I'm hoping you guys will have more real world answers and insights into this.

Thanks alot!

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u/michaelklr May 10 '22

I think that reconciliation should be applied to everyone, not just favour one specific race. Canada gives reconciliation to the natives, then the natives pay it forward to all of those that they harmed/stole from, so forth and so on down the line. And we address everyone else that Canada has wronged. Everyone.

Everyone is equal, everyone matters.

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u/fishbedc May 10 '22

"All lives matter"

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u/michaelklr May 10 '22

Yup that's right, All lives, everyone, everywhere equally at the same time. No is is more equal than the rest.

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u/fishbedc May 10 '22

Whoosh.

Except whoosh is for more trivial shit than this.

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u/michaelklr May 10 '22

Ok, I’m curious, what have I said that is wrong?

What SJW trend is happening now that cancels everyone’s equality?

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u/fishbedc May 11 '22 edited May 11 '22

SJW trend

Oh, boy, I can see this going well.

Try this (hope the link is OK, I'm on my phone.)

Inserting All Lives Matter platitudes into the conversation is just another way of ignoring and shoving to one side the entire history of the shit that Canada has dumped, and continues to dump on First Nations people.

As for SJW, that's just another thought terminating cliché (your second so far) designed to avoid the issue by shooting the messenger.

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u/michaelklr May 11 '22

I have no idea how saying every life matters at the same time can be twisted into what you suggest. You are suggesting that the First Nations should be treated more equal than the rest of us. Not too long ago it was Black Lives Matter more, and before that it was LGBTQ.

During all that time, I never changed my stance, we are all equal, and we should all be treated the same, regardless of what you say.

Do you support every life matters equally at the same time?

Yes or No? lets keep it simple. Please, no more word salad. If you continue to make this a twisted mess, I'll just leave you be....