Annual observances are by their very namesake observed only once a year. They are designed as such in order to make the day stand out and be remembered and in many cases hyped up to the extent that the day itself becomes less important than the anticipation. And then – it’s gone faster than 24 hours seem to pass on any other given day.
Christmas comes to mind. Birthdays similarly. But what about Truth and Reconciliation day? What good does it do to think of the plight of the Indigenous for 24 hours and then get on with our lives.
Don Bilodeau is a Councillor with the Pikwakaganan Nation for the past three years and has had a relationship with the Tribe for far longer as he describes it. As a Councillor who is nominated by community members, Bilodeau comes to his position with a more than working knowledge of the types of challenges that his community and hundreds of others across the country face on a daily basis. He says that many of the Tribes activities don’t occur in a vacuum as many may think:
Pembroke Mayor Ron Gervais remembers fondly the handful of events that he and Bilodeau have enjoyed together over the years and has always expressed a willingness to work together on future projects. Gervais also recognizes that well intending words need to be followed by equally well intended deed and perhaps we fall short of that mark on occasion:
In May of 2021, 215 unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds of a former Residential School in Kamloops B.C. which were found to be the remains of children who had been reported missing and were described as having “Undocumented Deaths”. The find set off renewed efforts to uncover further incidences of the kind and have caused many First Nations Leaders to seriously question whether enough is being done. The incident, according to Bilodeau had a curious yet well intended effect at least in the short term:
Bilodeau is careful to point out that good intentions are always appreciated but the reality is that the deeds that must follow often do not come to fruition as time passes:
Mayor Gervais agrees and reflected upon conversations he’s had with folks of the younger generation who are not as deeply invested in the issues as previous generations. The conversation, albeit difficult, still needs to takes place he argues:
As we welcome another Truth and Reconciliation Day and make efforts to highlight some of the wins big and small that have come about as the result of the annual observance, it’s important, as both Bilodeau and Gervais have pointed out, that we make concerted efforts to make this much more than an annual day long event.:
For more information regarding the Pikwakanagan Nation please visit their website at
https://www.algonquinsofpikwakanagan.com/
(Written By: Richard Evans)
