Krystal and Ranita
This spoken letter is in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CRT), 94 Calls toAction and the In Plain Sight report on addressing Indigenous-specific Racism andDiscrimination in B.C. Health Care.This was triggering for myself and Ranita; both of us thought it was very eye opening. We made it a goal to learn the best way to honor indigenous people. We realize this is a heavy topic and have found ourselves seeking more learning about this topic. We have chosen to discuss the inherent racism and discrimination found within the health care system. We chose to write our spoken letter after hearing the stories of survivors and loved ones, who shared their experiences within the health care system through these reports. We decided on a poem to help symbolize our learnings and pain for the families and the loved ones of the survivors.
The music that was chosen for this assignment is titled, “The Apache Honoring Song,” sung by Walela. We picked this song because the song is authentic and beautiful. We believe it has a healing vibe to it that makes ones feel more in touch with nature and beauty. This song is powerful and empowering. We wanted the song to resonate with our audience.
We chose to use the medium of poetry to move away from a linear form of expression so that it reflected a more indigenous way of knowing and being. We chose a more organic effect; to be more in line with nature and move away from a colonial perspective. We also felt poetry allowed for more expressive emotions to be brought into the spoken letter.
The images we chose not only mirrored our poem but they also held standalone significance for each of us. For example, the Joe Louis fist image represents anti-racist sentiment and ideology. The image of the indigenous male with his eyes and mouth painted over represents the silencing of indigenous people over the generations. The line in the first half of the poem “eyes wide shut” is a euphemism for the structural racism within our society. Thank you for watching our SOCW 421 Spoken Letter
