This is the letter I wrote to the government of Canada, asking them to stop discriminating against First Nations children and families on reserves, and asking them to stop taking First Nations children from their loving families. All the research is from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, whose website is here: https://fncaringsociety.com
You can read the following letter and please, please, even if you don’t live in Canada send a letter of your own, either using this letter as a template or in your own words:
This is the way it has been for my people, for as long as anyone could remember. Each new life brought with it the threat that the creature posed. Each new life could be snatched away from us too early, too harshly, and far too cruelly.
Mother Nature’s body mutilated. She lies there, her power, her glory, her immortal libertyRendered helpless by our slashing roads and our piercing pipelinesOur factories spewing pollution into the air, the lands, the waterOur mines digging down like stabbing knives into her Our mother’s body mutilatedAnd with her humanity is mutilatedWithout her we cannot be
A young mother knows that the people who control her land will take her baby from her.
This is what happens to children sometimes. The rich and powerful need a new slave that they can bend and mold to their will sometimes, one they can keep in the intimate confines of their mansions. And it's so easy to break a child if you raise said child.
She knows that her baby will grow up not knowing the stories and songs and anger and laughter of the people in the fields and factories and mines.
Before she has to say goodbye forever though, she can give the child something important.
A piece of her history, a bit of strength.———
This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.
Milahi loves her family. She loves her community. She loves her people. She works hard at the cafe six days a week. They don't have much. But they have each other. They make sure they have each other no matter what. And that's strength.
She's blessed as much as she's cursed.
As much as the Lords have every piece of her, they don't have her soul.
Monday through Saturday are days for misery.
Sundays are days for joy. For rebellion. For hope.
———
This work is in the public domain and anyone can do anything they want with it.