To Anne Taylor

To Anne Taylor

Anne Taylor is Cultural Archivist at the Curve Lake Cultural Centre at Curve Lake First Nation. She is a traditional Indigenous woman artist, storyteller and playwright. She is a woman in high demand in her Curve Lake home and by settlers in all directions asking for...

Eating Your Cake

Eating Your Cake

To: The Prime Minister of Canada The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Dear M. Trudeau You do know that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. (Well unless you are Tina Fey). You acknowledge the need...

Idle No More

Idle No More

Since I started telling people about my postcard writing campaign, I have met with some resistance. The reaction is about 50/50... half of the people I tell are curious and open to listening and half push back in some form or other. One such push back has come in the...

Aid This Inquiry

Aid This Inquiry

To: The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Terrasses de la Chaudière, 10 Wellington, North Tower Gatineau, QC K1A 0H4. Dear Ms. Bennett Regarding the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children: How did this...

Education

Education

To: The Honourable Bill Morneau 430 Parliament Street (Main Office) Toronto, Ontario M5A 3A2 Dear Mr. Morneau A few years ago I was fortunate to be part of a coaching program for Indigenous students starting their first year at Trent University. It was an eye-opening...

Privilege and Obliviousness

Privilege and Obliviousness

To: The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300 Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4 Regarding Truth and Reconciliation Let me start with a quote from Rebecca Solnit: from http://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-the-loneliness-of-donald-trump/ Equality keeps us honest. Our...

Thank you Marc Miller

Thank you Marc Miller

To:Marc Miller 3175 Saint-Jacques Street Montréal, Quebec H4C 1G7 Dear Sir: Nia:Wen Thank you for modelling how to show respect for all of your constituents. I appreciated that you spent several months learning to speak the language of Mohawk people, Kanien'kéha. The...

Founding Nations

Founding Nations

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Canada can take a meaningful step forward by recognizing First Peoples as founders of Canada... three founders not only English and French. There is significant support for such a move. Now that the will of thousands of individuals, the...

Out of Sight

Out of Sight

Dear Mr. Prime Minister There is more will in 2017 on the part of a growing percentage of Canadian citizens to push for making significant change in relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Metis. But it is far from enough. What would it take for that will for...

Water Water Everywhere But….

Water Water Everywhere But….

Dear Ms Bennett Whether the glass is half full or half empty doesn't matter one iota if you can't drink the water. I understand that there is not one solution that fits all the situations where a boil water advisory is in effect. I understand that it is complicated...