Noël Matchett
As a settler, I would like to acknowledge and give thanks to the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, particularly the Snaw-naw-as first nations, for allowing me to live and learn on their land. I would also like to honour and give thanks to the individuals from Snuneymuxw First Nation who bravely shared their experiences and perspectives about systemic racism in the healthcare system and Trudel-Lafond’s (2020) In Plain Sight Report. It is from their stories and wise words that I find inspiration for this spoken letter and my Manifesto titled “When I love you in my practice.” In this journey of critical self-reflection, I realized that I needed to have a statement of commitment for my future practice to do my part to end systemic racism in Canada’s health care system. I decided this statement of commitment would be in the form of a daily manifesto, something that I can bind unto myself before each day of work. This allows me to take the opportunity to align myself with my values and beliefs, setting a cornerstone for my practice. In doing this, I hope to have more confidence to act with moral courage, standing up for what is right even in the face of adversity or risk for myself, for the sake of the most vulnerable in society (Blackstock, 2020).
