As an Indigenous Canadian, I’m used to losing … I’ve spent my life literally losing much of the time. I was born losing.
That never meant that I would give up fighting or trying.
Mom and dad were born in terribly hard lives yet they worked like crazy to give me and my siblings everything and give us a chance.
One of my favorite hockey mentors when I was growing up was my older cousin. He was about ten years older and he had an obvious disability and spinal deformation. But when he was younger he was still able to play hockey. Everyone dismissed him but in every game, he never gave up and played every moment as hard and as much as he could, which was a lot and it surprised everyone. I saw him and I learned to play like him … just never give up even if you’re obviously losing.
Then I’ve spent my whole life fighting and trying because that is what I was taught.
Never, ever give up.
Some more wise words, thank you. Not sure if this is your style of music (and hopefully you don’t find this insulting in a stereotyping sense), but I thought of you yesterday because of conversations we’ve had about this subject when I saw this animated music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA4rSO-h9Io
Wow … that was beautiful … and I love Redbone … I’ve never seen this. It’s what happens when our social circles and ability to pass along content between one another becomes smaller and smaller.
That was a fun watch and like everything I ever see, read and watch these days that has Indigenous content, I had to carefully look into who made, produced and created this and it looks legit and everyone participated in good faith to make it and the Indigenous community love it.
Not only was it fun to watch, it was uplifting too. This is the thing that many non-Native people miss about Native people, we are often portrayed as serious, sour looking people who wave our hands in the air and give off some kind of magical ancient power of some kind. It couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve known many traditional Elders in my life and they are all as silly, funny and take themselves as unseriously as anyone in these little communities of ours. They offer wisdom and knowledge but in a way where they don’t take a moral high ground over anyone. It’s a perspective where we are all standing on the same ground and no one is higher than anyone else … including the one who is speaking. Because in the end, we are all born of the ground and return to it in the end and that fact is what makes us all the same, no matter what we would like to believe or disbelieve.
That really made my day. Chi-meegwetch doodem … it means ‘thanks very much, my friend’ … kitchi-neenaskoomeetin … ‘I give my praises to you’ … and also ‘keeteesee’ … it means ‘your belly button’ (it’s a childish thing to say to a friend to have a bit of fun with them) … lol
Well I’m glad I could make your day. Thank you for your praises!
lol the hypocrisy.
