I confess that I am actually watching Big Brother Canada this season and I am rather fond of two Houseguests in particular. I love both Damien and Kyra simply because they represent diversity in a world that DEMANDS conformity. So much attention has been paid to Kyra, but does anyone actually realize that Damien's presence brings a semblance of sacredness to this reality show?
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Dear Damien,
I loved seeing you on Big Brother Canada because you have made strides to bridge gaps caused by the fear and indifference that non-Indigenous Canadians display towards Indigenous Canadians on a daily basis. May Napi bless you and your family.
People may think I'm weird for posting this, but I truly love and respect Indigenous Peoples and the struggles they have endured. I used to watch North of 60 every morning while I got ready for school and throughout my 14-year career in Journalism, I have done much coverage of issues facing Indigenous Peoples. I have also educated myself on the horror of the residential schools and the issues that have stemmed from the aftermath.
Indifference is a crappy disease and I loathe it, as I have experienced it myself being a person with disabilities. It does no good for society, yet it still exists and even regins supreme in some areas. I am so tired of the continued battles between people merely over the color of their skin and all the hatred that stemmed from the PAST. Leave the past in the past and learn to look beyond the color of skin. Has the world really progressed beyond the days of racial issues like it has been so vehemently claimed?
Instead of becoming smarter and more responsive to defeating indifference, people simply choose to ignore it and pretend it isn't their problem. When it comes to indifference, everyone loses and will eventually experience the pain of it for themselves no matter how much they try to avoid it. Openly distancing oneself from history due to finding it offensive tells others that you support the segregation/isolation of accurate history and the implementation of a cookie cutter, conformist version where nothing can be learned or appreciated. People need to be educated as to what things mean and how to appreciate them instead of being told that they aren't capable of learning and understanding thing because of their culture, race, or religion.
The government may have apologized for the cruelties of residential schools, but they have not yet brought the country of Canada to where they can truly call themselves one nation under God. If we didn't have Indigenous Peoples on reality shows like Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race Canada, how else would we learn that we are all cut from the same cloth? People ignore the news more often than not, but they are into reality shows and sometimes, some valuable education can be found within them.
Anyway, Damien, I express my gratitude to you and all the other Indigenous Peoples of Canada who have done amazing things for us simply by appearing on reality television. This may be a way to get people to listen better, so I am glad that you decided to take part.
