My Spoken Letter is in response to the colonization of the education system. In
considering Indigenous history, including the arrival of settlers, Indigenous Peoples were taken advantage of for their knowledge of the lands. After fulfilling their needs settlers began the colonization process. They stole Indigenous children and forced them to assimilate, by stripping of them of their language, culture, and identities. Fortunately, this was not lost, through decolonization Indigenous Peoples are regaining their languages, their culture, and their identities through education.
Currently, a large portion of my personal growth, health and wellbeing is related to my educational journey. In choosing the location of my education I considered multiple universities, but Vancouver Island University (VIU) stood out. Educational institutions need to take the lead in the Calls for Justice, and universities such as VIU are already taking these steps. VIU has acknowledged elders for their wisdom and knowledge, they support their students through a variety of services, and they are incorporating Indigenous worldviews into their ongoing education.
Decolonization will occur by breaking down the walls that colonialism created, by calling on our ancestors for their support and by holding people accountable to answer the Calls for Justice. This is only the beginning and this educational institution is one that is leading the way.
The music selection includes ocean sounds, forest sounds, Indigenous drumming, and a song sung by my Nanaay, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson. The video imagery is drone footage of the Haida Gwaii, which is where my Nation is located, provided by an online video. These sounds and video footage were chosen to connect this video to the land and to connect me personally to my ancestral roots.
Additional picture imagery was found through online searches and the Vancouver Island University website. These were brought together to share my story, to speak
my truth, and to encourage further steps towards decolonization. -Tarra T.
