Decolonizing Ourselves
By: Christine McFarlane
I have begun to understand decolonization as a process in which the colonizing society-in this case-(European) and Indigenous peoples of Canada are able to live harmoniously and interact with each other without underlying tension. In order to decolonize ourselves, we need to look deep within ourselves and tell ourselves “we will no longer be victims” to those in power. As First Nations people, we have lived for years in a colonized world. A world that dictates who we are, what we are, and how we are to be, in order to get by in today’s world.
Colonialism establishes a framework, a way of life, which has been set in motion by state and government. When a person is under colonial rule, in order for change to happen, they will have to challenge the very authority that defines how they are to live. I believe that colonization will take Indigenous peoples many years to overcome. The colonial process involves many stages and a changed relationship between the colonizing powers and the people under its rule. The stages of decolonization occur in individuals and general society at different times in their lives because not everyone is capable of healing at the same time or looking at the issues that put them in their colonized positions in the first place.
Colonization has taken form under the Indian Act, and how First Nations people are identified under that specific Act. If you are status, you have certain rights, if you are not status; your rights are like the rest of Canadian society. It has long been understood that we are governed by a government that believes in assimilation. Though they say they were sorry for such paternalistic acts such as the residential school system and the further actions of suppressing our languages, traditions and culture, I believe there is still miles to go before we see action that will turn First Nations people in favour of how Canada is governed.
Before contact with Europeans, Canada’s Indigenous people enjoyed relatively good health, knew cures for many illnesses, had a governance system that worked well within each community, and traditional wisdom and knowledge of the land as a resource for the community was essential for their health and well-being.
For years, we have been subliminally exposed to a way of life that is not our own. Since colonization, First Nations people have experienced serious physical, emotional and spiritual ill health. We see this in the health problems that plague our people, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and mental health challenges such as violence, abuse, depression, suicide and dependence on addictive substances.
Colonization created many problems for First Nations people. Attempts to assimilate our people were almost successful. Colonizers viewed and treated Canada’s indigenous people as less than, and this has led to an “us against them” attitude. The poverty, mental health challenges and other struggles faced by First Nations people stem from colonial policies and practices.
These practices include the reserve system, laws banning spiritual practices, the residential school system and more recently the 60’s scoop of First Nations children by child welfare authorities. Discrimination still continues. It is still enshrined in policies and practices of Canadian social structures.
In order to decolonize ourselves, it is important to look at the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental aspects of ourselves. We need to look within and tell ourselves, “we will not allow ourselves to be victims any longer.” I strongly believe that when we know who we are, what our purpose in life is and what direction we want to take in life, we are effectively standing up and freeing ourselves to take back aspects of ourselves that promotes health and healing. This is the beginning of decolonizing ourselves.
The first phase of decolonization as I have learned throughout the course of my studies is rediscovery and recovery. Healing can mean many things to individuals. It could mean, reaching back into our pasts and “rediscovering our identities,” going to ceremonies, reclaiming our languages and stepping back from the harmful behaviours we learned and used to cope with our situations.
The second phase of decolonization takes place in mourning. Mourning is an integral stage in decolonizing yourself from a colonized world. It is through mourning that you begin to look at your past as your past and you actively tell yourself that your past will no longer “guide who I am and what I do in life” In the mourning stage, things are still difficult because you struggle with a lot of inner pain. I know within, that I struggle with many aspects of loss, making my own community and learning to let go of the past messages that were instilled in me as a child.
The third and most crucial stage of decolonization is dreaming. This is where “the full panorama of possibilities are expressed, considered, and consulted. We look at our dreams, build upon our dreams and declare that “nothing will deter us from where we want to go and what we want to be. A part of my dream has been to return to school. To regain who I was I had to relearn the history of my peoples, learn of their struggles and their triumphs and to become socially aware and write about what I have become passionate about-healing and recovery.
Decolonization is a lengthy process. It is a process that includes the re-evaluation of not only ourselves but of the people who were put in the position of colonizer. The final two stages of decolonization are commitment and action. It is through commitment and action that the colonizer and the colonized learn to recognize each other’s differences, build a stronger sense of togetherness and have a desire to change. Without a desire to change, the colonized stay colonized and the colonizer stays in a position of power.
Previously published in The Native Canadian Newsletter of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.October 5th 2009
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