Re-Con-Silly-Nation!

A little about me and later more topics on re-con-silly-nation and what reconciliation means to me as an Anishinaabekwe.

ningowiiganikwe, eagle winged woman, mukwa ndodem, mattagami endoonjiba

About me...

aanii, boozhoo…Hi and Welcome.

My spirit name is ningowiiganikwe, Eagle-Winged Woman. I am of the Bear Clan and from one of the Treaty #9 First Nations—a small village located in northern Ontario. This land carries the stories of my ancestors, the wisdom of our traditions, and the resilience of our people. My voice is one among many, but it carries the echoes of generations who have survived, resisted, and fought to reclaim what was taken.

Reconciliation vs Re-Con-Silly-Nation: A Critical Look at Canada's Narrative

We’ve been hearing the word “reconciliation” thrown around for years now—spoken in government offices, university classrooms, hospital policies, and corporate boardrooms. Institutions are eager to check the box of “Indigenization,” adding an Anishinaabe word here, an elder’s opening prayer there, a land acknowledgment before proceeding with business as usual. But what does reconciliation truly mean when there has been no truth?

The foundation of reconciliation should be built on accountability, yet Canada has never fully disclosed the transactions that led to its control over Indigenous lands and peoples. Treaties were agreements, not surrenders. Our ancestors negotiated under conditions of peace and mutual respect, yet the promises made were broken, rewritten, or outright ignored. The government must first return to the truth—the original agreements, the historical documents that outline exactly how this nation-state came to claim authority over Indigenous lands and lives. Without this reckoning, the so-called reconciliation efforts amount to little more than performative gestures. This is not reconciliation; this is Re-Con-Silly-Nation.

Through this blog, I will share my story—not just as a means of personal expression, but as a testament to the realities that so many Indigenous people face. My childhood on the reserve was shaped by the deep love of family, community, and culture, but also by the lingering shadows of intergenerational trauma. The impacts of residential schools were not distant history; they were woven into the very fabric of my life, affecting my family’s dynamics, our sense of identity, and the way we navigated the world.

Moving to the city presented new challenges—barriers that non-Indigenous people often take for granted. I became aware of how Indigenous people are perceived outside our communities, how stereotypes precede us, and how systemic racism is embedded in healthcare, education, and employment. I was forced to reckon with my identity in spaces where my culture was either erased or exoticized.

Despite these challenges, I refused to be just another statistic. I chose to reclaim my narrative, to transform pain into resilience, and to use my experiences to help others who walk a similar path. I have moved from being a negative statistic to a positive statistic—not because the system worked for me, but because I worked against the system that was designed to erase me.

For Indigenous people, true reconciliation begins within ourselves and our families. Before we can heal from colonial harm, we must understand its impact. Residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and ongoing child welfare policies have disrupted our family structures, language, and traditional ways of being. The trauma is real, but so is our strength.

Over the years, I have worked to break cycles, to reclaim my voice, and to teach my children the truths that were hidden from me. Healing is not a linear journey—it is messy, painful, and requires constant unlearning and relearning. But it is possible. And in sharing my journey, I hope to inspire others to embark on their own paths toward healing and self-reconciliation.

Reconciliation Must Be More Than Words

The government and institutions that use the word “reconciliation” must move beyond tokenistic efforts. Reconciliation without truth is deception. Reconciliation without action is meaningless. What does true reconciliation look like?

• Returning Land: Words mean nothing if Indigenous nations are denied the land that was taken from them. True reconciliation involves land back initiatives, self-governance, and upholding treaty rights.

• Honoring the Truth: Schools must teach the real history of this country, not a watered-down version that minimizes colonial violence. Canadians need to understand what happened and how it continues to affect Indigenous communities today.

• Indigenous-Led Solutions: From healthcare to justice, our people must be the ones leading and making decisions about policies that affect us. Too often, decisions are made for us, without us.

• Addressing Systemic Racism: Indigenous people continue to face discrimination in every sector—whether it’s accessing medical care, being overrepresented in prisons, or experiencing police violence. Reconciliation must dismantle these systems of oppression.

Sharing Stories, Building Connections, Creating Change

Through this blog, I will continue to share my experiences—personal stories of struggle and survival, moments of joy and resilience, and reflections on what reconciliation means to me. I will speak about relationships, identity, and the realities of navigating the world as an Indigenous person. I will provide insights, resources, and positive affirmations to help others find their own paths toward healing and empowerment.

If sharing my journey helps even one person feel less alone, if it provides clarity or validation for someone struggling, then I have accomplished what I set out to do. My hope is to ignite conversations, challenge perspectives, and encourage both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to reflect deeply on what reconciliation truly requires.

This is what resilience and reconciliation mean to me—not the scripted apologies and performative acknowledgments, but the deep, difficult, necessary work of restoring what was lost and reclaiming what is ours. This is not the Re-Con-Silly-Nation that governments want us to accept. This is our truth. This is our power.

Miigwetch for reading. Let’s continue this journey together.

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