Suffers from indigenous youth
In part one of this book, Ndede recounts a series of his experiences as a young indigenous man in Canadian society at the end of the 20th century. It was a life lived under bias and impact of former residential school experience: suffering in the residential school, separation from parents and seeing the best friend killed. Due to the lack of recognized education, Ndede was only accepted by physical jobs such as logging. The combination of these factors eventually led to alcoholism and family breakdown. The story ended up in a good way that Ndede met his second wife, who is the author’s mother.
Truth and reconciliation
In 2008, Federal Government launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).[1] Truth refers to the recognition of first nations in Canadian history, including residential schools. Reconciliation is about rebuilding the connection, reorganizing and preserving the culture, helping the victims, trying to fix the past mistake.
With the efforts of indigenous communities, the Canadian government finally apologized for the residential school system. The author of the book, who was working for the CBC, participated in the truth and reconciliation activities in Canada. He worked for change in the word choice in the apology (“Survivors”), produced documentaries, etc. Ndede was in from of the camera to tell his story.
Way back to Ojibwe – the preserve of the cultural
Ndede was taken away from his Ojibwe community at a young age. This part of the book tells the stories of their way back to this rich culture. It’s of the Sundance, the traditional piercing ceremony, and the Anishinaabemowin language. When Ndede, who was tutoring at the U of M, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he spent his remaining years recording and spreading the language. They created video recordings, the first-ever Anishinaabemowin database for translation, and taught kids in school. It is a process of connecting the tradition to modern society and overcoming biases.
Reference
[1]Moran. “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”. The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2022. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/truth-and-reconciliation-commission
[2]Karian L. Hunter. “26th Annual Pic Mobert Pow Wow Well Attended“. ONN, 19 August 2012. http://www.karinahunter.com/2012/08/26th-annual-pic-mobert-pow-wow-well-attended/