Not very long ago, I was completely unaware of the concept of the Indian Act (Indian Act, 1985). I have gained valuable knowledge during this course that I will use when forming opinions and frameworks in my years ahead. Just recently I was made aware of potential changes to the Indian Act (Indian Act, 1985) that I initially thought would be a wonderful advancement in our relationship dynamics with respect to colonization. After a very brief conversation and some solid research, I have since changed my mind. I was reluctant to interject into a conversation that was taking place between two Anishnaabe women that I know, about the impending changes that are being made to the Indian Act (Indian Act, 1985). Usually, I would avoid these types of interactions because I feel uncomfortable in voicing my opinions and fearful of not having the adequate knowledge to contribute. Thankfully, I did voice my thoughts, even though I was challenged. I was told that the potential changes are not good for First Nations people, and our conversation was left at that. I decided to look into this concept further and I found out exactly why she would feel that changes to the Indian Act (Indian Act, 1985) would create animosity.
I discovered that she wasn't the only one who felt this way and I searched for the reasons for the disagreements. "The debate surrounds part of Bill C-45, a massive omnibus budget bill that will, in part, weaken environmental protection and Indian reserve land rights. Among the amendments are changes to the Fisheries Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act and the Indian Act, which will make it easier to redesignate native reserve lands and strip environmental protection from thousands of lakes and rivers." (Coutts, 2012)
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/frustration-over-omnibus-bill-c-45-leads-nationwide-185350221.html
I would never have found out how much impact that these changes would have on First Nations people, and our environment if I had not stepped out of my comfort zone. I know the importance of constructive criticism now, even though I was on the receiving end of the lesson. I have also learned the importance of researching my questions in order to find out why people feel the way that they do. I am able to see the whole picture instead of forming my opinions from a biased, judgemental or stereotypical perspective.
I would never have found out how much impact that these changes would have on First Nations people, and our environment if I had not stepped out of my comfort zone. I know the importance of constructive criticism now, even though I was on the receiving end of the lesson. I have also learned the importance of researching my questions in order to find out why people feel the way that they do. I am able to see the whole picture instead of forming my opinions from a biased, judgemental or stereotypical perspective.
While writing blogs and reading the entries from other students, I have also come to appreciate how much work it takes to gather information in order to substantiate my thoughts. My opinion is one thing, backing it up with educated resources is another. I have been able to explore how to express myself in a scholarly manner and I am getting more comfortable with it, despite how much detail I have to go into in order to state a well known fact.
I have learned a lot of new concepts regarding ideologies and how to form political opinions in this class, and I have also learned to dig deeper for answers. I am so grateful to be equipped to engage in sophisticated conversations that I have always avoided in the past and I am excited to be able to contribute to debates and controversial topics, now that I am educated enough to feel confident in voicing my opinions.
Chi Miigwetch,
~Tara
References:
R.S.C., (1985). Indian act (CI-5). Retrieved from website:retrieved on 2012-10-30
No comments:
Post a Comment