by Nicholas Phillips and Professor Anthony Davis

Who should be held Accountable?

Dear Editor:

October is Mi’kmaq history month in Nova Scotia. For many, this month’s activities largely highlight and celebrate what the Mi’kmaq were, not who they are today. The celebrations and focus also do not place much emphasis on the road the Mi’kmaq have been forced to travel in getting here today. For those who take the time to understand, the Mi’kmaw people have been at the centre of discrimination and oppression since the coming of Europeans. We’re certain that some think that the issues and challenges usually associated with Indigenous people in this country are old news related to even older events and circumstances. These opinions often assert that ‘they should get over it’ and do what is needed to move forward and improve. Betraying willful, intentional, and self-interested ignorance and racism, such perspectives further dehumanize Indigenous Peoples through debasing their experiences and the resulting social and human consequences. For many, the Residential Schooling pogrom and its consequences are the main sources of troubles and illustrates something to be ‘getting over’. Yet, the psychological, emotional, spiritual and mental damages of the Residential Schools’ systematic dehumanization and cultural genocidal experiences are still effecting the generations of today’s Indigenous people, including the Mi’kmaq.

Further, it would be woefully incorrect to think t ...