09/30/2024
Today is a day for truths.
A day to face hard truths. Uncomfortable truths. Revealing truths. Truths that ask you to self-examine. Truths urging you to reflect on past actions. Truths insisting on a new way forward. Today Iād like to take a moment to honor the and reflect on the painful wrongs that have been done and are being done to our Indigenous communities, including the most vulnerable- the children.
Today I am personally taking time to listen to Indigenous peopleās stories, learn about the painful history of residential schools, and reflect on the deep wounds left by generations of injustice. Today I am holding space for all my Indigenous friends, extended family members, community members, and my own clients, as I look for how I can do better for them moving forward.
I believe this type of reflection and action is so intertwined and woven into the work we do to create inclusive and compassionate spaces for all marginalized communities. In particular, we can acknowledge the amplified hardships and abuse that took place for those who were both Indigenous and neurodivergent. While we also come to terms with the reality that inequity continues to persist in identifying, understanding, and supporting the Indigenous neurodivergent population, even today. So here is an opportunity to think back on past practices, and what may have been deemed the āway to do thingsā before, and now we realize this is NOT the way forward. Let us extend our efforts to support both Indigenous and neurodivergent children, so that we too can deeply understand the importance of their own culture and ways of being- not seek to change those. Instead, we can embrace them with the true understanding they deserve.
We have a long way to go to ensure equitable treatment, so what actions will you commit to today? It is the time to move onto the path of powerful healing, shifting our practices, and challenging our perspectives as we take steps towards collective growth.