O Canada

On this fine afternoon, I get out of my car at the grocery store, Sunday means time to meal prep for the week. In the distance, I hear familiar voices. It sounds like a mother and daughter arguing as they empty their shopping cart into their car. I approach, as it's in the direction of the supermarket entrance anyway.

– Carine, Malika ?

Both turn around at the same time and scream joyfully:

– Anne !!!

- How are you, it's been a while since we've seen each other, ask Carine.

- Yes, it's true, time goes by so quickly, like water between fingers!

- It does,” says Carine. She puts the last bag in her car and continues.

- Do you still like your new condo? Carine asks.

- Absolutely, I'm in the process of renovating it to bring it up to date.

- The last time we saw each other was when you moved out. What have you been up to since then? asks Malika.

- Oh, you know, the job, working on my projects and of course traveling. I spent some time in Europe.

- Where in Europe? Asks Carine.

- France, Spain and Italy. I fell in love with the last two. I think I was too jet lag to truly appreciate France at that moment, it was beautiful though.

- Oh, theses places are amazing, Europe is beautiful! says Carine.

- It was indeed spectacular. People look happy and they are very friendly. As for the food, every dish was an explosion of enchanting flavor in your mouth and the architecture is so striking, I didn't want to miss a single detail. I took my time and let myself be intoxicated by these sensational moments. To think that everything is hand-carved and manmade, and that these buildings have survived wars and time, is remarkable. I was surprised that so many people spoke French, much to my delight. Of course, I communicated in English too and dusted off my broken Spanish, which I promptly put away. If nothing else, it made people laugh and created some great moments.

- What did you like the most? asks Malika.

- That's hard to say, because when I travel, I'm grateful for the whole experience, the good times and the not-so-good times, because they're magical memories for me. I remember and feed on them when I feel blue.

- Yes, but if you had to choose? asks Malika.

- Um, when I was in Barcelona, I went to see a flamenco show in a hundred-year-old theater with breathtaking architecture. There were three dancers, including two women and a man, two guitarists, a violinist, a man on percussion and two women singing. Intoxicating Arabic influences could be heard in their voices. The dancers were not only talented, but they conveyed the emotions of the stories they expressed through their dancing. Their body expressions were transcendent. It was so moving to see them not only present their culture to us, but they materialized the nuances of their culture through dance, they were their Catalan culture. It moved me to tears to see such beauty and cultural pride. Beauty and pride that were in no way arrogant, just present, intense and vibrant, and that shook the stage and thrilled the completely captivated spectators in the room. It was a timeless moment.

- Wow! I wish I could have been there; it looks beautiful. Says Malika.

- It truly was, when I came back here, I can tell you that I looked around and found it quite ordinary and boring! There's an incredible cultural richness in Europe, at least from what I've seen.

- It's normal, these are the “Old Countries”, they've been around for a long time. Canada is young, not even 200 years old. Replies Carine.

There's a moment of silence. I barely have time to debate whether engaging or not in this conversation when Malika shouts:

- Well, no, Mom!

I take a step back, thinking that this is a “popcorn” moment and that the interaction that follows sure will be interesting. Malika has always been interested in Indigenous peoples, whether it’s First Nations, Inuit or Métis peoples. We've had many discussions together around it, and she's a very intelligent girl who doesn't mince her words. Surprised by her daughter's reaction, Carine says:

- Well yes, Malika, it's a historical fact, you can't change that!

Malika seeks my approval. I give her a green light with a nod and a smile. What does this young girl have to say?

- First of all, Mom, Canada just changed its name, and it's been around for thousands of years!

Oh, what a discussion this is going to be! Malika has my undivided attention.

- What do you mean, it's changed its name? Canada has always been called Canada,” says Carine.

- No, Mom, there were variations on the name like the Dominion of Canada. But now it's just called Canada. The territory has always been there, but it was the English and French colonizers who spread out and took more and more territory from the east coast to the west coast. There were civilizations, cultures, people and families already here, and they were irrigated, and those who survived were pushed out and eventually placed on small reservations! says Malika in a very firm tone.

- Maybe you mean eradicated, like in removed? asks Carine.

- Uh, yes, eradicated. It's hypocritical and self-centered of you to say that Canada is young when the territory has existed for thousands of years and there were hundred of thousands of people living here with their own political, social and environmental systems,” says Malika, while getting flustered.

- Malika, watch your tone! says Carine, raising her voice.

I nod and wink at Malika showing support to Carine words.

- I just want to say that on the territory there were societies and once Canada was officially created with the paper there... Hesitantly Malika looks at me and seeks help with her eyes.

- The North America Act, now known as the Constitution Act signed in 1867,” I say.

- Yes, well, we the colonizers, called the territory Canada and with the laws we tried hard to erase the cultures of the people who already lived here. It's no secret, it's written in the laws! I learned at school that in 1534 that Jacques Cartier arrived here, and then there were all kinds of agreements and papers signed, like the Royal Proclamation in 1763. The Canada we know now from the Constitution Act signed in 1867 is young, but the territory of Canada is very old. And if the papers that the colonizers and rulers of “Canada” , since Cartier, had written hadn't sought to make all these peoples disappear in order to spread out the colonies everywhere and take all the territory, well, I'm sure that our country would have been more beautiful and that the architecture, the food and cultures would have been much richer than it is right now. Is that true, Anne?

Almost with tears of pride in my eyes, I approve of Malika's simple and not too well refined explanation. And yet, at 13 years of age, she seems to have demystified an important social bias.

- Anne knew what I meant by “Canada is young”. I know there was people before our ancestors colonized the country,” says Carine uncomfortably.

- You said Canada is young and it's not really. All you had to do was use the right words instead of thinking that everyone understands what you mean, Mom. You spend all your time telling me to use my words to express and make myself understood. This goes to you too, use the right words to express what you want to say! says Malika.

- I guess the adolescence is beginning! says a disheartened Carine.

- Expressing my opinion or historical facts, as you call them, doesn't mean that my teenage hormones are playing tricks on me, Mom. You're just like Dad when he tells you that you must be in your “week” because something doesn't suit you,” fiercely reply Malika.

- It's true, I apologize, you're right it was condescending,” admits Carine.

- Okay, girls, we're able of talking without pulling each other’s hair out, aren't we? I ask, looking at Malika.

- Yeah, yeah,” she said in an apologetic voice.

- Malika made some very good points with a lot of confidence. Canada would look a lot different if we'd had this cultural exchange. I believe that everyone would have benefited from this. Unfortunately, the quest for power has meant that Indigenous peoples and their cultures have, for some, completely disappeared. For those who have survived the coercive laws through the centuries, some find themselves marginalized, traumatized and deeply scared by all kinds of violence they suffered in a system that was set up to destroy them. These laws were created to erase us, and this message, that we are ‘’worthless’’ among others, has crept into the social fabric and into the collective imagination for centuries. One of the consequences of this now is the creation of biases that people can have without even understanding it. For example, when we talk about systemic racism, it's hard to make someone realize that it exists when the dominant discourse is “we've always done things this way” or “I do what I'm told”. Although the tendency now is to “consult” and then do what you want afterwards, at least you can say you've consulted!

- I see this a lot at my work: we consult just to say we're doing it, and there’s very little consideration for the partners consulted in our final products. says Carine thoughtfully.

- That's it! The result is inadequate products and services that are unable to meet the specific and unique needs of today's Indigenous people and yet, we are here, healing by reclaiming our traditions and cultures. I think that this is one of the reasons why celebrating Indigenous cultures is important. Through hundreds of years of oppression and violence dictated by laws specifically meant to erase us, there are Indigenous people who have been able to survive, to preserve their culture, their language and pass it on secretly at the risk of losing their own lives. For example, for a long time, pow-wows were forbidden at the risk of imprisonment or execution on the spot.

- The list of oppressive actions that forbidden any cultural activities the is very long, and it still exists, there are still awful things going on with children and the social services, children like me! adds Malika.

- Absolutely. If I'm here today, it's because there are people, in my community, who were strong and who overcame the oppressive system in their own way and secretly protected their language and culture for their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, right down to me who lost them, because of the law, but I'm working very hard to reclaim them. The constant efforts made in the absolute terror that none of us will ever live, or at least we hope not, that's worth celebrating. We can't change the past, but we can build the future without repeating our dark history.

- I understand, but I wasn't there when the colonization took place, I didn't decide on the laws, so how does that concern me,” says Carine.

- I hope you weren't there, otherwise we'd be talking to a ghost!

Everyone bursts out laughing, which relaxes the atmosphere. I continue.

- You weren't there, that's true, and I wasn't there either. The question is, if neither one of us were there, why are thousands of people, including me, living with the effects and consequences of colonization on a daily basis? Is it fair to say that only Indigenous people are responsible for changing this? We vote, but we don't write the laws or the policies. You and the rest of Canada have a part to play.

- How?” asks Carine.

- Mom, we've had this conversation before! You must start by recognizing your biases, like this one. To fix something, you must know what's not working. You have to ask yourself questions about the things you do out of habit. Do the things you say or have always done without question have an impact on Indigenous people? asks Malika.

- I understand that, and then what? asks Carine.

- Well, it's not just understanding it and knowing that there were people before colonization, it's getting your biases out of your head and reprogramming yourself into a better version of yourself. It's true that we don't know what we don't know. But, once you realize it, you have to do better. You know, Mom, it's not a question of including them. Don't forget that we forced them to “include” us on their territory and look what we did! Replies Malika calmly.

- Malika's not wrong, I think it's a good start to recognize our biases and question the things we've always automatically said or done,” I say.

- I'm going to think about all that, it's still a lot! exclaims Carine, clearly relieved that the conversation is coming to an end.

- Mom, you tell me when I'm doing something wrong. Then you have to be able to take the comment or realize for yourself the things you're saying or doing wrong, otherwise it's not fair. You adults aren't always right, you know!

- My daughter is my mirror,” says Carine, sighing and pulling Malika close to her to stroke her hair.

- The best way to grow is to look at ourselves and tell ourselves that we're no better than anyone else and that we all have things to learn and do. Well, girls, as usual, I love talking to you, but I've got to do my grocery shopping.

- Yes, we should get back home too to prepare for the week,” says Carine.

- Malika, you're a good human being, I'm glad you're interested in your environment. Keep it up, maybe the world will improve for the better!

- Thanks bye Anne, says Malika.

- Bye Anne. I'll talk to you soon,” says Carine.

The two of them get into their car and I head for the supermarket, wondering what it would look like if we had cohabited, collaborated and shared with each other since the colonization. Would there even be supermarkets, or would things be different? And if we were to enter an era of healing and collaboration, what would our future look like, O Canada?