Tuesday, 23 February 2016

Key question 20

My mom is Lakota and Cajun.  She was forcibly brought to Canada through a Canadian and United States policy of cultural genocide (united nations convention against genocide article 2e) with the purpose of assimilating Native children by putting them in foster and adoptive homes.  When a family was very large or traditional the two governments would flip the babies and children over the boarder to further remove them from their culture and families and make it harder to go back.  If they did this when the baby was first born (like my mom) this would cut off either governments responsibility to the baby by taking them before their birth was registered and so not registered to receive status (Canada) or CDIB (USA).  The policy to do this ended in 1979 in the US and 1985 in Canada however the family law act has provisions that make sure it continues.  60-90% of FN children are still "scooped" today.  In Kingston thus number is 70%.  My family is in Canada due to the genocidal acts of both governments.  The social workers, lawyers and policy makers in Canada and the US should be charged for war crimes.

My dads family is Algonquin.  But like most Algonquins living in Kingston's north end, in the neighborhood right around Regi they have no ties to the Sharbot or Ardoch Algonquins.  That is because they were always in this neighborhood.  They have been written out of history and out of their nation by the government to protect the first capital.  There is one line in the city's history mentioning the Indians north of North street.  My mom and I are working with a professor and some other people to further uncover this history and get me and all my cousins to be recognized like we deserve.

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