Tomas Jirousek: Why assume Indigenous peoples speak with one voice? – Montreal Gazette
Non-Indigenous people have been known to amplify pan-Indigenous messaging for their own benefit, as seen with the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Indigenous peoples are a broad and diverse collections of confederacies, nations, clans and tribes. As a Blackfoot person, I often reflect on the stories, lessons and conversations I share with my grandparents and broader community as I navigate the world. These values that we share as a family, community and nation inform the decisions I make, even as I continue my education thousands of kilometres from our home on the Blood reserve southwest of Lethbridge, Alta.
And while many Indigenous communities might share certain cultural traits or values, our experiences and approaches remain distinct from one another. A Blackfoot person will inherit a different set of values than someone who is Inuit, Cree or Ojibway. Not only are we unique in terms of language and culture, but our experiences with colonial policies like the Indian residential school system will be different.
