These young Indigenous Tiktok creators have lots to say about truth and reconciliation
For the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, we worked with two Indigenous Canadian Tiktok creators and asked them to tell us something about themselves and what truth and reconciliation mean to them.
You can see their videos on tiktok.com/cbc and instagram.com/cbc.
Ashley Michel
Weytk (Hello), my name is Ashley Michel (@4generationscreations) and I am from Tk'emlúps te Secwe.̓pemc (Kamloops Indian Band).
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to me, means a day to remember our ancestors and honour our survivors, their families and communities. Their strength and resiliency is why we are still here and why we can still practice our culture and language to this day.
Remember that this is not a trend. The support should not stop after September 30. Real reconciliation comes from facing the truth of Canada's history in order to engage in reconciliation in a meaningful way. The 94 calls to action was a step in the right direction, but there needs to be action behind words now and for our future generations to come.
Some things that can be done to show support:
-Read the 94 calls to action but also research other Indigenous issues such as MMIWGT2S, the Indian Act, the foster care system, birth alerts, the clean water crisis, land issues, suicide rates, mental health problems, addictions, extinct/endangered languages, etc. (make sure to take precautions when researching these difficult topics)
-Attend community cultural events
-Support authentic Indigenous artists and businesses
-Educate yourself, help spread awareness and continue to listen, learn and amplify the voices of Indigenous people and our survivors
Theland Kicknosway
My name is Theland Kicknosway (@the_landk). I'm from Walpole Island First Nation, currently living in Ottawa, Ont. (Algonquin territory).
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is the understanding of loss and remembering our past as a nation. And with this comes honouring the original people of the land. When we create partnerships and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, we are able to share among ourselves the history and hurt this nation caused.
On this day, we support those Indigenous voices that need to be heard, and remember the ones that never got the chance. We remember the children and the families that continue to heal from past trauma. We as a nation must strive to do better than we did yesterday, so that we can create a safe place for the next generation.
Before reconciliation comes the truth — so continue to learn from knowledge carriers, youth and the historical facts, so you and the others around you can make a country we can all feel safe to live in.
Miigwetch / Thank you.