For the person I admire the most at this time would be Canadian Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould. Ms. Wilson-Raybould is an indigenous Canadian whom advocates for the environmental and social justice. For this assignment I followed Ms. Wilsom Raybould on both Facebook and Instagram.
Ideas and impacts I noticed on her social media platform include criminal justice reform, the Charter of Rights and Freedom, Human Rights advocacy, support for survivors of sexual violence, harassment and discrimination. My greatest degree of interest in following her is with respect to the work that is still needed with truth and reconciliation.
As an indigenous woman working for my community these are topics that are of great interest and importance to me. Particularly as I am tasked with building community capacity and creating an environment that is better for this and the next 7 generation. In Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s posts she often speaks about the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples (UNDRIP), and the work the government is doing to implement the declaration. Having said that she is upfront that there is lots of work to be accomplished and it will take years to fully implement. I respect her as a politician for acknowledging that changes will not occur overnight. The key section of the declaration and why UNDRIP is important to me is the section that speaks about “free, prior and informed consent”. What this means to Canadians is that in the unseeded territory of First Nations, large projects such as pipelines will require consultation and consent with the local First Nations governments. Its a step toward acknowledging the sovereign lands of the Indigenous peoples. As a leader of my community whom is responsible for rights and title, this is an important piece of legislation that would have significant effects on my community. It has the potential to instill positive change for many years to come. As a community leader I need to consistently advocate for rights and title when large projects occur in my traditional territory. This will further support the work that I do for my community and provide a legal framework with how consultation and consent should take place.
My advice to Ms. Wilson-Raybould on how to motivate followers is to perhaps sometimes provide some background into the complex issues facing First Nations today. Also a legal understanding on how rights and title came to be. I often hear ignorant comments such as the war was won a long time ago, in reference to the First Nations people and that they should just get over what happened in the past. It’s astounding given that there never was a war. This is the part that I don’t think the general public has a clear understanding about why these issues are important. Ms. Wilson-Raybould speaks about truth and reconciliation but doesn’t often share the horrid stories behind it. I do think this is in an attempt to keep a positive image however perhaps by educating the general public about why implementing UNDRIP is important it will create greater support. On a smaller scale I find this effective when in a conversation with an acquaintance about Indigenous Rights and Title. Majority of people I speak with do not understand how land was divided and taken away or how indigenous people could not own land up until the 1970’s. When I share information about the residential school era or the 60’s scoop, people are astounded that this information was not public until recently. I often get “I had no idea”. This is what I believe creates understanding is by not hiding from what happened in the past. This is exactly the premise of truth and reconciliation. Meaning we can’t get to reconciliation until we speak the truth and understand our past.
Ultimately though, I am very proud of Ms. Wilson-Raybould and the work she does, particularly for the indigenous people of Canada. Her values, ethics and morals are similar to my own which is why I suppose I look up to her as a leader. As indigenous people we have to help each other to get stronger and Ms. Wilson-Raybould is making changes on a national scale, which is impressive. In my small world of Kwantlen I work each day to bring the same change. I try to represent my community and businesses in a way that encourages respect and trust. Always keeping a balance of taking care of community while also finding ways to create opportunities for families to put food on the table. It’s important to keep a balance and respect my elders teachings about caring for mother earth and so businesses that disrespect mother earth, while may be lucrative in the short term are not businesses that are worth leaving for future generations. Instead I focus on opportunities that match the community values and or, when it comes to rights and title, I give people the chance to feel vulnerable and ask questions. For example sometimes breaking the ice by saying “what have you always wanted to ask a First Nations person but have been afraid to ask?” opens the door to greater understanding. It encourages people to want to help and or at least come to a compromise. I know that Canada is still learning the real history of indigenous peoples in Canada. As a leader in my community I know it’s part of my role to share the stories of my ancestors and elders so that greater understanding can be had and the healing can begin. It’s also my role to set an example for future generations and be the best I can be. It may not be on a national scale however one indigenous life changed in my world is a step toward a brighter future for my community.
