Racism and White Parents or Spouses
For years, I've been thinking about the challenges of mixed blood and/or mixed marriages. Often when we have mixed blood or love someone non-indigenous, we feel a disloyalty to our non-indigenous loved ones when we talk about racism and "White" people.
I am of mixed blood with my mom being Ojibway, with some Scotch/French heritage, and my father being Lebanese and English. As an aside, I've also found it ironic that we, indigenous peoples, are the only ones I know of whom others feel entitled to question about our blood quantum! I mean seriously, when someone tells me they are, say Ukrainian, I don't ask them for a breakdown of their Ukrainian blood quantum.
Anyways, many of us are of mixed blood and love non-indigenous peoples and that does not somehow make us less indigenous. Hitler believed in the pure blood theory!
So, when I talk about systemic racism and/or systemic discrimination, I am not talking about your mom, dad or spouse in particular or you if you are a White person who works with us, and, frankly, your insistence on seeing things from such a personal perspective is contributing to our oppression as indigenous peoples.
I'm not sure how you can identify as indigenous, or work with us, and behave, unwittingly or not, in a way that contributes to our oppression.
Legalized racism and systemic discrimination exist in Canada whether we have non-indigenous parents, spouses or employees. I hope you're not just identifying as indigenous or working with us for your own personal benefit?
Anyways, I've probably pissed you off again, but in my experience, suffering is optional, however, educating myself is not!
So, instead of being offended or hurt by my messaging, whether you are indigenous or not, I challenge you to hear (buy the audiobook) or read what Robin DiAngelo has to say in her book titled "White Fragility".
I look forward to connecting with you and sharing after you've heard or read what she says!
"We are all here to stay". Delgamuukw, SCC 1992
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2019/whats-my-complicity-talking-white-fragility-with-robin-diangelo
https://g.co/kgs/STWiaL
