10/27/2022 0 Comments Alexandra shimoAnne's residential school in northern Ontario in 1955. It has been shortlisted for the BC National non-fiction award and longlisted for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize, which recognizes excellent works of literary nonfiction.Taken from his family by draconian Canadian laws intended to "kill the Indian in the child," young Edmund Metatawabin is brought to St. Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve made The Globe and Mail’s list of the Top 100 Books of 2016. Read widely, and if you believe these issues matter, write to your local Member of Parliament. Monetary support is great, but so too is awareness. It’s a travesty, and it means ignorance taints the public discourse. What has happened to the Indigenous peoples of Canada including the residential schools, Sixties Scoop, the anti-business provisions of the Indian Act, and the forced displacements, has been left out of the education system and history books. Without solutions, people feel disempowered, so they tune them out.” What’s the best way to help the people of Kashechewan? In the book, you mention that “the general public views issues on reserves as intractable. To learn more about issues facing Indigenous people in Canada, visit the Assembly of First Nations. Until the flooding issue is resolved, it is impossible for anyone to build their homes or businesses, let alone prosperity. Many times, they have voted for relocation, but these wishes have always been ignored. The community wants to move to higher ground, but stay within their traditional territory. Each spring, the Albany River breaks its banks, and people’s homes flood with sewage. In your opinion, what is the single most important factor that would help foster health, happiness, and prosperity for the people of Kashechewan? What has happened to the Indigenous peoples of Canada including residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the anti-business provisions of the Indian Act, and the forced displacements, has been left out of the education system and history books. Has the Federal Government responded to the book in any way? I put off writing Invisible North and worked on other projects, including another book, Up Ghost River: A Chief’s Journey through the Turbulent Waters of Native History. Using talk therapy and mindfulness, we worked through what had happened to me. Instead, I began working with a mindfulness coach. Unfortunately, there was a long wait for Ontario Health Insurance-covered care. I didn’t know what was going on until my family doctor diagnosed me with PTSD. After I left Kashechewan, I tried to return to work as a journalist, but my symptoms continued, and I couldn’t concentrate. Many nights, I imbibed until I passed out, and would wake up screaming. While living there, I had panic attacks, flashbacks, and mood swings. It was difficult to see children hungry, drugged out, and in pain. You experienced PTSD after living on the reserve - can you share a little about your recovery?Įven as an outsider, life on the reserve was really hard. Visit the Honouring Indigenous People project to learn more. Part of the book’s proceeds go toward it. The inaugural trip was last summer, and we are still raising funds. We decided to organize an annual 400 km canoe trip along the Albany River where the kids would learn their cultural and spiritual traditions. Prior to publication, I began brainstorming with several Indigenous leaders, including Kashechewan’s current Chief, Leo Friday, about how the book could be used to help. Some are suffering what is called “ nature deficit disorder.” This helps explain why this reserve, and others in northern Canada, have some of the world’s highest suicide rates. They are essentially trapped on a barren dirt lot. Several of the kids interviewed had never left the confines of the reserve - an area of one square kilometre. The main concern is for Kashechewan’s children - Canada’s most vulnerable population. With all the media attention, many have reached out. How has Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve been received? In 2010, she visited Kashechewan First Nation, a fly-in reservation in Ontario, Canada, to report on the aftermath of a water crisis.Īlex wrote Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve after experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder from the untenable living conditions on “Kash.” We spoke with her about her experiences on the reserve and the Canadian Federal Government’s lack of response to Indigenous issues. Alexandra (Alex) Shimo is a former producer at CBC radio and editor at Maclean’s.
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