Blog 4

I wrote a blog last week but didn’t post it. I was worried. I didn’t want to offend. And I don’t. I am a guest in this country and I am having a great time. I am having a fantastic time. But I also think it’s important not to ignore something or deny it. We have to acknowledge things in order to make a change.

I have read some of the posts from the other students and I think we are all feeling the same sort of emotions. It’s all a bit weird because we all see each other on social media where it’s an edited view of our lives. We show the good things, we make ourselves look good. But life isn’t like that. No one is perfect.

As we reach the half way mark of our placements I think the novelty of being in another country is wearing off, the reality of working full time while trying to see and do as much as possible is tiring. And now we are starting to see the country from another perspective. We live here. We experience the good and the bad. We experience the culture. This was one of the main objectives of the placement, to live and experience another culture.

We joked at the beginning that we all speak English so there won’t be many differences. To an extent, yes, but there are plenty of differences not least because our countries have very different, but linked, histories.

I had a little understanding of the various First Nations and the challenges that not only have they faced in the past, but what they face today. I had hoped that some of the stories about social attitudes towards them were untrue or out-dated, however I’m not always finding this to be the case. I first noticed around Canada day in my second week, (which celebrates when Canada became a separate country from the British Empire) that many people joked with me about how ‘young’ Canada is compared to the U.K. Indeed, when presented like that not only my university, but also my high school are ‘older’ than the Canada! My parents are older than the flag! (Sorry mum and dad!) I point out what a fascinating history they actually have prior to 1867 and what a shame that Europe came over and decided it was ‘their’ land. I keep feeling the need to apologise, which is also a little weird.

This week I visited Canada’s history museum, which was so interesting and covered the various First Nations in Canada. I particularly enjoyed a paragraph written about one man, who in 2000 went to study at Cambridge University in England. He identifies himself as an aboriginal (Cree) and so took his flag over with him. While at Cambridge, one day he placed the flag in the ground and thus claimed the land to be Canada’s. Everyone laughs but that is exactly what the British did to the First Nations.

The summer is also the time for festivals, (yes, I attended three nights of Bluesfest which was fantastic!) and this year some festivals are banning festivalgoers from wearing Native American style headdresses. Finally. It’s a shame that it’s taken until now for society to appreciate that although these do look fabulous, it’s not always appropriate to wear something that has such a significant spiritual and cultural meaning in First Nation culture, especially on land that they view as sacred.

And then, just this week I was walking along the street in my lunch break and someone made a pretty offensive comment basically generalising that all homeless people are from a First Nation and an inconvenience to society. I was quite taken aback by that and it showed me a glimpse into another side of Canada. In the U.K. I can’t say homeless people are treated with great respect either, and I think this is why it’s so important that more people learn about social enterprises. It’s through these that attitudes and lives can be changed. Instead of complaining and criticising, which is easy, we should do something about it. Make a change. Make a social impact.

#ssimexchange #sarahkeith