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a good thing to come out of the Michelle Latimer mess is that I've had some very honest conversations w other people with mixed ancestry this past week about complexities and the importance of essentially staying in your own lane (a rant)
you can have Indigenous family and still be white & privileged. Your responsibilities are just different. If your ancestry is mixed but you live as a white person in most regards what are your reasons for identifying? What are your responsibilities to community/family?
I've always identified as being of Alberta Metis descent because that’s my nation thru matrilineal lines. I’ve been part of it my entire life even tho there are severed ties. So when I identify, I do it as a responsibility to my family + to be accountable. Not for anything else.
Which is why these people claiming fake Metis to account for some ancestor from hundreds of years ago to get access to arts funding & notoriety brings up a lot of ugly feelings for me. It brings up many Qs about representation, and honesty about where we are coming from
Personally Ive been encouraged to apply for grants/fellowships meant for Indigenous people in the past and have always passed bc it doesn't feel right. That said, I have utilized other resources via Metis Nation, & got an internship at APTN thru an Indigenous reporting program
But now I’m really trying to think twice + take a big step back. I think using privilege to uplift others is so important. Connection doesn’t have to involve centering yourself. Stop being so loud. Stop taking away. It’s all so colonial and extractive and ugly.
Most importantly… Don’t lie or guess about who you are. Stay in the lane of your own lived experience and culture. And don’t try to leverage Indigenous ancestry for your own benefit and glory. Because your ancestors are important but their experience isn’t necessarily yours.
Anyways, I will now go back to listening. But that’s just my two cents as someone who is still learning and working. Let’s keep talking because these are such important conversations to have.
