Letter: When you know better, do better

The editor: 

I am writing this letter in response to the letter by Colleen Reed titled Crying for the Children in the June 23 Mercury.  

I was appalled after reading this. Using the cultural genocide of our Aboriginal people to promote your archaic views of women being stripped of their reproductive rights is embarrassing.  

It is a huge injustice to the lives lost and their communities to use this tragedy as anything but recognition of Canada’s dark history.  

This is a time that Canadians need to come together to acknowledge and educate ourselves on the disrespect and cruelty we have shown to our Indigenous community. The Aboriginal people in Canada have survived, despite the best efforts of our governments and churches. There is so much we can learn from the rich cultural and spiritual lives of Indigenous people.  

The Honorable Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, quotes, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.” I am thankful for what I have learned about Indigenous history throughout my years of schooling because when you know better, you can do better.  

I have hope that my generation, with our knowledge will continue to fight the racism and discrimination that Aboriginal people still encounter every day. Becoming familiar with the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will help us move forward to make positive changes.  

We must renew our efforts to assist in the reversal of the lasting effects of residential schools. In a quote from Chief Cadmus Delorme, “We all inherited this, nobody today created residential schools, nobody today created the Indian Act, nobody today created the 60s Scoop, we all inherited it and we have to acknowledge that people are healing and people are hurting. Let’s do something about it.” 

Abigail Lachambre Renkas 

Estevan