WWI Monologue
For most of my life, I’ve been subjected to discrimination due to historical oppression, along with the ones I call family. For far too long, the system has marginalized my community, the Anishinabek, failing to recognize the rights of our Indigenous communities. I refuse to remain silent as our lands and cultures are laid to waste as their laws and policies seek to strip us of them. I’ve been educated in our history. The Federal Government thought that they could take on a “paternalistic” role, like we were toddlers that needed assistance. In the end, the only thing that came from it was false promises of accommodation in our new reserves. Optimistically, the ability to serve my homeland is the ultimate honor, and giving my …show more content…
Though I was exempt from service, staying at home while we read about dead soldiers on posters brought major shame to my family. Enlisting in the army was a momentous decision that I knew was the only way to sway the ones in power and grant the Anishinabek what they deserve. Going into the war, I sought to influence the government, and the masses, with my efforts. I had to produce a substantial impact in order to affect my people’s fate. I realized that the way things were going, we would always be oppressed and excluded, so why not attempt to be the change? The land that they occupy was originally owned by us; colonized by European forces, and to keep even a fraction of what we once owned, our rights, will be tremendous in the restoration of our communities going forward. Sharing the land with the foreigners was never a problem, but to have been deprived of our rights and privileges because we were deemed different, is not what I want for our country. Failure would result in the end of our cultures and traditions as well as the “Aboriginal” people as we know it. Society will continue to plunder and decimate the condition of our roots. To live on this soil, and never have a seat at the table, where decisions affect our lands and resources, the cycle of discrimination
For most of my life, I’ve been subjected to discrimination due to historical oppression, along with the ones I call family. For far too long, the system has marginalized my community, the Anishinabek, failing to recognize the rights of our Indigenous communities. I refuse to remain silent as our lands and cultures are laid to waste as their laws and policies seek to strip us of them. I’ve been educated in our history. The Federal Government thought that they could take on a “paternalistic” role, like we were toddlers that needed assistance. In the end, the only thing that came from it was false promises of accommodation in our new reserves. Optimistically, the ability to serve my homeland is the ultimate honor, and giving my …show more content…
Though I was exempt from service, staying at home while we read about dead soldiers on posters brought major shame to my family. Enlisting in the army was a momentous decision that I knew was the only way to sway the ones in power and grant the Anishinabek what they deserve. Going into the war, I sought to influence the government, and the masses, with my efforts. I had to produce a substantial impact in order to affect my people’s fate. I realized that the way things were going, we would always be oppressed and excluded, so why not attempt to be the change? The land that they occupy was originally owned by us; colonized by European forces, and to keep even a fraction of what we once owned, our rights, will be tremendous in the restoration of our communities going forward. Sharing the land with the foreigners was never a problem, but to have been deprived of our rights and privileges because we were deemed different, is not what I want for our country. Failure would result in the end of our cultures and traditions as well as the “Aboriginal” people as we know it. Society will continue to plunder and decimate the condition of our roots. To live on this soil, and never have a seat at the table, where decisions affect our lands and resources, the cycle of discrimination