Statement

When I received Guys image I was totally paralyzed with grief. I had no idea what to do with this image of a person all turtled up, alone, lost and weeping a lake of tears.  It was obvious the person is Indigenous.

Someone said that real hell on earth is having to face the negative effects our actions have on others And the earth… Intentional and unintentional effects.

I am a non-Indigenous person. The TRC has made it very clear how our colonial heritage has and continues to affect the Indigenous peoples in Canada. As a caring human being, I can not turn a blind eye to the suffering.  I need to learn as much as I can and question myself and the history I have learned.  I have to forgive myself, and my ancestors but never forget the history of it all.

And that means dealing with big emotions: Like shame, guilt, admitting I did not know, that I don’t know what to do to make it better and the temptation to ignore it and hope it just goes away. It is a whirl wind of emotion.  And like Guy said, it is a first image of a set representing the Truth in the Truth and Reconciliation.

My image is watercolour and markers. It is a child’s drawing style. It is called, Returning the Waters to the Earth.  An Indigenous and non-Indigenous person stand together and have the courage to weep from eyes and heart. The tears return to the earth and reassemble themselves to various flowers.  Some find their way up the bare tree and actually revive it.

My guess is the next image would be the two doing a Trust Walk and learning to be kind to each other.

Like the TRC summary says in the introduction, Learning the Truth is Hard! Reconciliation is a totally new experience for us both.

Let’s start imagining it, now!!! What does it look like and sound like in Simcoe County?