You going to book me? I might get a mug, yeah. Is that gorgeous or what, eh? And I believe I can run for Chief of Americans.
Download Vele now. I'm just so excited about the prospect of having them all in the same room, all four of us together. When you're a child and you're raised in a foster home or an adoptive home and the possibility of meeting your siblings or meeting your mother or your father, when that possibility is there, you have dreams of...
You know, that they're just, you know, they're wonderful and it's marvelous and they're going to treat you like a princess and, you know, it's just going to be over the rainbow, glorious. But when you get to middle age, when you are, when you hit 50... Life has taught you that nothing's as simple as that.
I don't know what my sisters and brother imagined. I don't know what their fantasies were. But for me, I always imagined that if I met my real family, that I'd get something that I didn't have.
Thank you. There was times where I got down on myself and sort of lonely, you know, and knowing that this was not really my original, original family, right? I knew about that for years.
And it just always bothered me. And I was always wondering, you know, do I have siblings out there? Do I have a mother? Do I, you know, is my mother still alive?
Then I heard about that I had sisters and that I was the only brother and that they've been looking for me for over 20 some years. With someone totally new as strangers. You know, dealing with them for eight hours a day, eight to ten or whatever it's going to be, you know, morning to night to, you know, the whole entire day doing things. It's just a totally different thing altogether. And I'm worried, but then I'm also excited and it's going to be fun, but I'm going to be probably for a couple days anyways walking in eggshells, like everyone else is going to be too, you know.
Yay, we get to spend a week together. I feel like an expectant father pacing in the hallway outside the baby being born. We never were given a choice.
We were never asked, do you want to be separated? Why couldn't we have stayed with our mother even though she was a single mother? There are single mothers everywhere now. It's more the norm than not. And yet we weren't allowed because someone decided that she was unable to raise children.
You know, who gave them that right? I mean it's over 50 years that it took us to come together, you know. I just hope that we can get along, because we were all raised very differently, and we all have our own ideas and our own sets of values and stuff, so it's going to be an adventure.
Definitely it's going to be an adventure. Rosalie, no. What?
I was going to- There you are! I made it, I made it, I made it! Oh, it's so good to see you!
Oh! I made it! Nice to meet you!
How are you? Oh, it's good to see you! I'm good!
Oh, I'm off the plane! I'm off the plane! Oh!
We all got glasses on. Come on! Oh!
Oh, that was very scary. Why? Well, I haven't flown in 10 years. Oh, shit. That was very scary.
It was like, and then it was like, that's the top of the mountains. I'm thinking, are you over the top of the mountains? I'm used to seeing them from it.
That's very heavy, and my bag is even heavier. We'll get you one of those carpets. Oh, yes, it's 35 pounds. Not a problem. And I bowled six games in the last two days.
What? I am so sore, yeah. What?
Old? Yes. Betty, you're not anxious or anything, are you? There was always something missing growing up my whole life.
After I graduated high school, I kind of started looking. and writing letters, but the Canadian government never really wrote me back or anything. My mom, she asked me what I was doing and I told her, she goes, well, this is your family, you know, I'm your mom.
It hurt her, I could tell, so I just gave it. The first call I got, I mean, I was just bawling my eyes out and talking to Betty Ann and I couldn't believe it after all this time. I'm just hoping to reconnect and be happy and getting to know each other.
My brother and sister, so, and my other sister. And so. Anybody that wants to see the complete collection of my photos is gonna have to come and visit.
Okay. Yep. That sounds like a good plan. Okay, we'll come and do it.
Yep. We'll make an effort to come out. It's ridiculous the amount.
I don't know. I don't know this girl. I couldn't get my bag off the stupid camera. Sweetie, look at me.
Sweetie. Hi Han. How you doing?
Good. Just get the hell out of this fucking airport. Where's your sister Rosie? Hi Rosie.
How was your flight? It was alright. Yeah?
You were doing good? I've been up since midnight. I was in the airport at LAX until what, I don't know, it was...
Surreal. Two o'clock? Oh, yeah. Turn around here. I think I need another hug.
Oh. Get our whole family together. I can't get my arms around it.
Your glasses, right? I know. This is very bizarre.
This is. Oh, God. God, I love you so much. I love you more.
I know. Oh, God. We have to get her. Here sweetie, let's, let's, guys try, he's afraid he's gonna hit us.
And I'm kind of afraid of that too. My eyes are back there. The rapture.
This is so interesting. We're traveling. We're a family.
Music Take your card out now. Thank you. I'm not from here.
This is going to cross Canada all national parks and all national historic sites. They're listed in there. I've packed for like 16 months.
Now, do we want to go down the stairs or do we want to go down the lawn? You know what? I'm just going to go. You guys can go whichever way you want.
I'm going this way. Don't bring any more luggage down. Why?
I'm going to see if we can get a place that's on even ground because Esther can't do these stairs three times a day. What you looking at? I'm seeing where this goes. Our luggage is unprotected. People are going to walk away with our luggage if we don't watch it.
Some bears will steal it. Oh shoot, bears! We got another one just up the way, and there aren't all these stairs. Okay.
It's the thing about being in the mountains, I hate walking up and down hills. Man, you pack light. Are you kidding me? It's only t-shirts. After you.
It's only t-shirts. T-shirts and toiletries. Look what else I brought. I bought these at Lake Louise years ago.
They're walking sticks. They're awesome walking sticks. And I always forget them when I come to the mountains.
So today I brought them. So I'm quite proud of myself. The most important thing that's coming out right now.
Awesome and I have something. Oh and? And I have something for...
Rosalie. Aww. But, and I didn't get Ben's mate yet. I mean, I started to, but... Super cute.
Is she good like that? Red is such a good color for her. She loves red.
Oh, that's good to know. I'm hoping this is gonna go up. Go up! I don't want to get smoked out here.
Phew, phew. It hasn't been lit for a while, that's probably why. But, yeah. There we go.
Okay! Who are we? MJ's Kids! MJ's Kids!
This is... Is that a woman's medium? It's probably for you.
Oh, right on. And this one's for you. All right.
Zipper and everything. Yeah. This one's for you.
Oh, beautiful. Beautiful. Oh, that's beautiful. I love it.
Oh, yeah. Oh, totally, man. Yeah.
Nice. Oh, that's sweet. That looks very nice.
And the reason for the season. Oh. Yeah.
Oh, sweet. I was thinking about the picture that I have. Oh. But it's in that big, huge wooden frame. That's beautiful.
Wow. She's here with us, you know. Uh-huh. And she's just so happy.
Yeah. So, I'm going to go ahead and get the camera. Okay. Okay, what am I...
Oh, I'm doing it wrong! Let's get a great picture of that lamp. This phone, I'm thinking you need to get your money back, baby. Okay, that's gonna work, right? Oh yeah, right.
Half my face. Okay. Half my face. How about if I go...
Okay, wait. We gotta get... Mother...
Mother... MJ... Looking over you. Ah. Okay.
I'm gonna go... Mother... MJ... Looking over you. Ah.
Which one are we doing here? Oh, the Skywalk thing. And that includes riding on that big bus out onto the glacier. That would be cool.
So are you guys good that I should phone them right now and see if we need to reserve for this one? Which one? The Hot Springs?
That's the Skywalk. Hold on, let me get the Skywalk. Free shuttle from Columbia, Australia.
What a cute little sweater. Yes, that's one of them. That looks like cool stuff. Here's Lake Louise. Here's the hot gondola.
Take a look at that. That's the top of the mountain. Oh, yeah.
Wow. The skywalk is... something else. I've never done it, but it'll be a first time for it.
It's going to be so much fun. You know what? That's what this whole trip is about. Yeah, just a first timer thing. It's just going to be awesome.
Wouldn't you say? Look at those red boots. Uh-huh.
I've been holding myself back. Well, you know, listen. We're having a birthday and we're having Christmas.
You guys, you know, if you see something you like, tell your big sister. Well, yeah, I'm still looking. Oh, will these make it home? Oh, shit. How's your day going?
Good, thank you. Very good. Yeah, great.
It's so beautiful here. Isn't it? Yeah, I'm from Southern California. Well, I was born here, but... Oh!
Can I do it? Yeah. It's so pretty.
So, where's Betty? She went to the photo shop. She said she'd be back.
There's just so much to see. Yeah. Like, holy cow. Oh my god, I didn't even look at the mountains behind us. I know, I took a picture of that.
That's nice, eh? That's beautiful. Do you have a lot of photos that you can print? No, no, just a few and I want multiples of them. So we just have to go to...
To the photos, okay. No, just through our website first. Hey, hey, where would you guys, where would you guys like to put these?
Hey. We're having a pretty day. Again.
Hey, hey, where would you want these to? I'll put them on. No, I know. Where, where do you want it?
Like, how do you want it positioned? Well, why don't you just start making decisions? We can do it that way.
Okay. I think you need to move that one in a little bit and out. It smells good. See?
Well then... This is just not happening right the way I want it to. You know what? I think... Does anybody want some...
I'm just really, really picky when it comes to shit like this. It's got to be precise, otherwise I'll just really be upset with this. Betty, there's a thingamadoober. What is that thing about?
What do you think there, Rose? You like that? If I don't, I'll rearrange it later when you're not looking. Damn it all in one go!
Don't get upset. Excuse me. No, I don't know you well enough. I'm sorry.
We're on the road. We're on the move. Takes us a while to get our poop in a group.
And Ben didn't forget me today. You got ahead of the door before he did. I did. So, I am not obviously a... I'm not a native traditionalist, but I have had some exposure to it.
Have you guys had, like, much exposure to native traditional stuff? I don't do any of that. No, I'm too close here.
I'm not liking this. Okay, I'm going to go turn around. Just because. That's just the way I do it. What about you, Esther?
I'm thinking. Oh, how lovely is this? But you know that, Betty? I asked a lot about that and they said all the forts in the areas, whenever they built them, they built them like that for the soldiers. I didn't realize they built it to keep us out, baby.
Hey, just, Rosalie, come here for just a sec. I just want to go over something, and I hate to be repetitive. But, okay, so we're going to meet this elder.
And I don't know, if he might see us as Native people and imagine that we know what we're doing in terms of Aboriginal tradition and stuff. And so if we give him some tobacco, that's a sign of respect. Do we each give him one? No, if you've got one and if you give it on our behalf, I think that should be adequate. Those are gorgeous.
How much are they? I don't know. 265. Hmm.
Oh, sorry, my clubs. You're going to have to stay here. Hello? I'm from the States. Are you a First Nation?
Yes. We're from, well, I'm from Fond du Lac, Saskatchewan, but I live in Saskatoon. You're the elder? Yeah, I'm the elder. Oh, hi.
So nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. I'm Betty Ann.
I'm Helmar. Helmar. I'm Helmar.
I'm Esther. And I'm Ben. I'm Rose. How are you?
Good. We all come from different places. but we're all brothers and sisters.
And we grew up in separate homes. We were taken in the Sixties Scoop. And this weekend, this week is our first time of being all together. And so we were all raised in white homes.
So, you know, coming here kind of gives me a shiver, you know. I feel as though being here is some, this is the kind of thing that we might have grown up with if circumstances were different. And so it feels good. good to come here and we really appreciate having an opportunity to have a tour.
Do you have that tobacco? Yes, I do. We were told that giving tobacco was sort of a traditional thing and we would like to offer that to you. Yes, I think it is.
Yeah. Thank you. It's very important to learn your culture.
I'm a survivor of residential school. I went through a lot of hard times. But I came and learned. I learned my own language. The best way to learn is hands-on learning.
Like if you make a smuts ball, the teacher will tell you what it is in Cree, and then what it represents. By the time you're done, you learn about the culture, You learn at least one word. Wait till it will be inside your heart.
Just a moment. Did you ever do the wrong dance? I've done that.
I've been to them, yes. Can you hit that one-two song? One-two stop.
Okay. And we'll try it. Okay. I have no rhythm. I'm gonna try.
Okay, you count me off and I'll start the same time you do. Okay. One, two, three.
Do you want to try it? You try this, this is so cool. I've never been able to do the drumming, so it's cool. It's a very cool feeling.
Like at a young age, like her age, she's already went to school. Let's say kindergarten. She watched how they cut up the meat, everything, and then they teach you how to cut the meat very thin, put it on a tray. pot like this.
They start a fire. Sometimes we use aspen tree or willow, dry willow, that give a really good flavor to it. All these ladies work hard because they're going to keep the tribe a lot of food, so they make lots of it.
And then we're going to start on the scrape and hide here. Okay, we take the hide and we place it on a frame like this, real tight. There's meat on it, eh? And then this you wrap it around like this. And then you flesh the meat.
Like, you take all the meat, everything off. It's one whole day of work. When it's done, again, you'll feed our dog. He gets to eat everything. And then we lace up the hide really tight, and then you put it in the sun for four days.
When it's dry, you tie it on it, you tap on it, it's just like the drum. Yeah, nature's people, Hamwin Chester. Hamwin Chester.
Yeah. Hamwin Chester. I'll try to remember that.
Thank you so much. And like I said, welcome home. Oh, thank you. Hamwin Chester.
You can do it. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Yeah.
Ah. What did you think of that? It's beautiful, it's great. Wow.
Can you imagine, like, living like that and learning all that? I think she's going to see if we can get a stab and come back. She's very, um...
Yes, I know. She told me. Just overwhelmed, I think, would be a good word.
I was raised... in a good and decent home. And I've had many people say to me, well, you were lucky. You know, do you think you'd be where you are now if you hadn't been taken from your mother? It's almost as if they want me to agree that I'm better off because I wasn't with my mother.
And there was a time in my life when I would have agreed. But I don't feel that way now. And it's not, this isn't a comment about my family who raised me, this is a comment about my reality of my life as me as an individual and as an Aboriginal person.
And now I don't feel like I'm lucky, I feel like I've been ripped off. For us, we didn't have the residential school to separate us from our culture and from our language. We had the 60's scoop. You know, I know a woman who was talking about that she knows how to tan hides. And I have cousins who tan hides, who know how to do it, and have watched their mother do it, and their aunties.
And I don't know how to do that. And I'm watching him do that, and I'm, you know, I'm 56. I don't, I don't, I don't, like everything he showed us today was brand new to me. And that... You know, that's not right. That's, yeah.
Hey, Beth, you go stand there. You two get in there. I want to get a picture of you guys. So I can see you with the waterfall and everything too. That's right.
That's right. Because you know, you're not messed up to do. You smell that's fine.
Say cheese. Fuzzy underwear. It's however. Yeah. This is so amazing.
Where did Ben go? He's way up the trail somewhere. He's right there in front of us. Is he?
Hang on. Oh, okay. Got it.
You know what? Do not sprain your ankle. Oh yeah, don't be, don't be, don't be, don't be doing that.
That fan. I guess I have to take a picture. Now we gotta, cause this, okay.
Don't go in the water with your shoes on. I can do one. That's apparently my limit. Two? It was one, two, three.
You just gotta know where your strength lies. Yeah. Well, I'm thinking we should start with the baby. Okay.
You want to show us your stuff first? Oh, God. You're adorable.
And I don't know how old I am there. You know, you haven't changed, really. That little button nose. Maybe, I guess, yeah.
Aww. So, yeah. Pretty cute. Ben, did your parents have other foster children? At the time we did, but they all were, as soon as we got them, they were around for like two months.
So those were temporary? They just took off. Placements, temporary placements.
And so you were a foster child with them until you were 14 and then the adoption happened? Actually, it was 12. Twelve? Okay. Yes, twelve. Alright.
Okay, now... There's me. Oh, sweet. You still have the dimpled knuckles. Yeah.
You were little. Okay, I've got to see. This is my farm, the farmhouse, and we had, like, the red and white farmhouse. Oh, yeah.
Right? And that's the front lawn. I'm probably about 12. This is about 14. You see, and this is how you looked when I met you. You're going to see in the very next page.
Okay. There's our first meeting. Oh, no way! Yeah, see?
Yeah, I literally was a mini me. I came up to Betty Ann's elbow. Do you remember that? Oh my god.
Sweet. Oh wow. In this picture, you look a lot like your mother.
I do. Like, just look at those cheekbones. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The high, high, high cheekbones.
Totally. I love the way they're the old black and white pictures with those little corners. I remember we had albums like that. It's just three weeks, six weeks here. Yeah, but these are some other children that my mom, she had...
Lost her kids too? She had like... 11 or 12. Oh, wow. Before she got me.
Oh, boy. And I was, I don't know, 13 or 14, something like that. I was the only one she got to adopt, but all of us were very sick.
Oh, and there's where the picture. Turn into color same as with your album. Percy, Raymond, Ballantine.
Okay, wait a minute. So she kept an album with the foster children she kept. Yeah.
So nice. They took so many pictures. And I'm guessing this is me, July 1962 when I was about a year old. This would have been in California. No, that was still in Prince Albert.
We didn't go to California until 64. Until March of 64. I was 15 miles away. So these... That is so sad. That is.
Well, I think a lot of the foster parents, like in my file it states that when you were a foster parent, you were only allowed to keep, especially an infant, For three months, that was it. And then they would move you. It says that in the file?
It says that right in my file. You were only allowed to keep a foster child for three months to save you from getting attached. And then they would move you, right?
Oh, are you? No, I'm not. Are you kidding? You know what?
Who would come up with a policy like that? And to whose benefit? CPS or whatever you call it.
But, I mean, the thing of it was, so... And they were like, they were basically, I'm thinking they were, they were not halfway houses, but they were, they wanted to adopt out these children, right? So who the heck is making decisions to take children from their mothers for some kind of protection, allegedly, and then bouncing a newborn baby around like that?
Yeah. Like, and you're supposed to be bonding? I don't think bonding was a priority.
Back in the day it wasn't. It obviously wasn't. There wasn't such a thing as bonding back then. I mean, there was, but they didn't recognize it back then. Like back in the 1800s they had bonding.
Well, of course. The thing is the policy doesn't seem to have really been about the welfare. child if you ask me like that hurts my that hurts my heart to think that my baby sister was bouncing around from home to home when you were such a sick little thing and thank God you got to Irene and Michelle. That like and that's the thing like I had a phenomenal childhood and I had a phenomenal life right like so out of all the horrible things that could have happened to me I was one of the lucky ones, like seriously, right? Because I was never made to feel like I was different, right?
I was one of the family. Yeah, yeah. Well, let's get back to it. Yeah, sorry, Esther, we digress.
But you were very sick, you say. And your foster mom had taken care of lots of sick little babies, and she took care of you and nursed you back to health. Yeah, absolutely. So here's another one on my first, I guess it's my first birthday, it's July 62. Aw, sweetie.
Just cute as a button. When you were celebrating your first birthday there, I had just been placed in my foster home. I'd been in my foster home for a few weeks at that point.
So that's in Prince Albert, and I'm on a farm 15 miles away. Isn't that heartbreaking? It's like... What I'm...
and Betty Ann. We're right there. So close to each other.
And that's what makes this so much more special. We've narrowed it from 15 miles to 15 inches. Just the resemblance of so much of our mother in the girls, you know, and even in me too. It's sweet.
It's really sweet. To know that there was years of our lives that we never really got to be with. You know, growing up, the fighting, the bickering, the loving, the presents at Christmas time, the birthdays, the holidays. Sure, we missed out a lot.
With this, you can't just sort of just, hey, how you doing? You know, it's been great seeing you again. It's been, what, two years or something like that?
You can't do that with this. Something like this, you missed it. So it's sad.
You have to, how do you say, relive. Oh, that hurts. Excuse me.
Thank you. So you see there's a large mountain up there on the left with lots of snow on it. It's Mount Athabasca. It's very popular around here for hikers and climbers and skiers and snowboarders. All that kind of stuff.
Welcome to the Athabasca. This is what you've been waiting for. Whoa, she's windy up here. She windy up here. You want one?
No, you hold on to this. You're going skiing. Okay.
Uh... Okay. Okay, everybody say Mary Jane. Mary Jane! I love you guys.
I love you more! Awesome! Alright!
Hey, thank you! I'm here! Can we go back to the bus now? Can we go back to the bus?
We're good! Okay. Just grab one of these. I'm going to hold on the fence.
Key Beaners, we're high. We are so freaking high. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And yet, hey, get this, and yet, we're higher in an airplane than this. Yeah, and you're fine in an airplane, aren't you?
Yeah? As long as you're not by the window. It doesn't matter, I don't mind the window. Oh.
Because you can't see nothing but cloud. I don't know. Guys, I don't know.
Just start walking out on it. Just start walking. That's what I did.
Oh, gives you that that feeling in the pit of your stomach like you're gonna walk out on it. When I first got out, I'm like. Oh, my heart was racing. Yes. Don't look down.
Look straight ahead. Just keep looking straight ahead. It's okay. Oh, don't do that shit to me, please.
Please don't do that. Do not do that. Look up. Look up at the mountain top.
It's really kind of scary. It really is. It's just like I really don't know if I really can do this now.
You know what, we're gonna do it quickly. When we do it, we're gonna walk through it quickly. Come on. You tell me when you're ready.
I'm trying to get a really good one. I don't know if I can keep going. Sure you can.
Sure you can. Just stick with me. Baby steps. Just baby steps.
Sure. And it's easier to look down if you go to the edge and look down? You know, we'll look down after we get toward the end.
We will, we will. But right now we'll just keep enjoying this. Yeah.
Oh my god. I can't believe it. This is so cool.
I just wish I wasn't so damn scared. It's okay. It's okay to be scared.
Yeah. It's totally legit. Let's look out at the mountain. I don't want to stop.
I just want to get the hell off of this thing. For sure. I'm making a left turn. I'm making a left turn.
I'm going to walk a little. Want me to let go and you can do the rest on your own? Yeah, I think so. Go dude.
I think so. You're good. You're golden.
Okay, get me on the cement. Yay! You did it! You own it, dude. Oh wow.
That's so amazing. I just want to stay here. Yeah.
Ben? Uh? Last time you see me, I'm gonna have short hair. It's just very, um, humbling.
And knowing that I have much to learn about who I am and my ancestry. And now I have three people to go on the journey with. We have to work together to find our way.
to being a family and making our own traditions and learning things like our birthdays and our nieces and nephews'birthdays. and finding out okay this trip is our first one and I'm lobbying very hard for our next one already because I'm thinking we have to make a conscious effort to keep this up because if we don't it's gonna be like oh yeah I have two sisters and a brother and we only see each other you know whenever and I think that in order to be a family we're gonna have to make sure we are constantly aware that we must work at it all the time. I actually learned how to drive in a four-speed.
Nice, nice. Yeah, because that's what we had at Hunt, two four-speeds. And my brother taught me. And he wanted to kill me, because there was this one car we had, and the clutch was really iffy.
I mean, it was touchy. And oh my God, I put him through the windshield a couple times. Because, I mean, I wasn't used to the clutch. This was from the weekend that I met our mother.
This is mom. You are taller than mom. And she... I thought she was tall.
I knew my dad was over 6 foot because this guy came. So me and her were about the same height. Yeah, you're the most like her.
Oh, yeah. Like you look the most like her. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Oh, I meant to ask, did Mom ever speak the language? Of course. A Dene? Absolutely. She did?
Until the day she died. Oh. Absolutely. Wow. And so here she is.
And that would have been in the last year of her life. By then she was using the wheelchair most of the time. And let's see. How old was she again?
She was 72 when she died. This is a picture of her. And it's really characteristic of her.
She's got her makeup done and her hair done, and she's wearing jewelry. And she was very particular about her appearance. There she is.
Yeah, I guess I do look like her a bit. A lot. Well, you know what, like you have her same eyebrows.
Yeah, I do? Yeah, you do. And so I, this is getting back to the pages I had sent her, and so I sent her some photos of Fond du Lac from the plane.
So this is from 1986 and the community has changed a lot, but I knew that that would interest her. And here is our grandfather Ben. I got to speak to him once on the phone. No.
Did you? Yes, I did. I did. Tell me about that. When was that?
Tell us all about it. It was... Do you remember when you first found the family? Yeah.
And I remember thinking, oh my God, I've got an uncle with four children, an aunt with nine. Like, oh my word, I've got this huge extended family. And I'm not sure if I had phoned up there or they had phoned me. The details escape me. But I actually got to speak to Grandpa before he passed.
Oh, man, I tell you, this stuff. So this is a letter from Ted. This is just after I found our family, you know. Ted wrote me a letter.
I'm just going to read you, like, just the first couple sentences. So August 4th, 1984. Dear cousin, hi, how are you? Finally the dream, dream with a capital D, has come true.
After all these years we will be around each other as one big family. I hope you'd understand that we all felt bad just like you do. But finally this thing is over.
I phone home on Friday and I was given your address. That's why I'm writing you this letter. And then, you know, he goes on, but, you know, it was like there were people out there saying, it's the same as the letter I sent you, you know, we're out here, we're waiting for you, and we're thinking about you, and we never forgot you.
You know, and our family is just so awesome. Like our cousins, they just always, always welcomed us with open arms and treated us like that. And here's a letter to me from our... Grandfather, after I visited him, and it's basically him giving me shit for not sending something that I was supposed to send up.
I thought maybe it was some kind of paperwork. Grandpa wants to know when you're sending the blah blah. So here's the newspaper that I work for, Star Phoenix.
And I did a column, and as you can see there's a picture here of me and our mom, and there's my girl Lucia. And this was taken, I wrote this column about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into Indian residential schools. And I was talking about how...
You know, we were going to go there and we were taking the spirit of Mary Jane with us because she can't be there. And the policies of the residential schools that our mom went to residential school and she never said anything bad about residential school. She said that she was glad she learned how to knit when she was there and she made friends. But when she left residential school, she never went home to the reserve. I don't know why.
But children in residential schools, Indian kids in residential schools, were taught that they were inferior to white people. Essentially. It's a known thing.
I mean, it's a known thing. And so why did our mother never go home to the reserve? Why did she only live in, you know, towns and cities?
And why were her partners not Native? And as far as I'm concerned, it's... because of something that happened to her at residential school.
It's because of something she was taught. And the government of Canada apologized to Indian residential school survivors, and they apologized to the intergenerational survivors, which is us. And like I said... Our mother wasn't alive to hear the Prime Minister of Canada apologize to her for whatever experience she had. Would it have made a difference if she was alive to hear it?
I mean, would she... Well, here's... You know what, my take on the situation why mom didn't go back to the reserve is because why did they let... them take her away. Where were they?
Why? Kind of like... It was the law.
I know it was the law, but why did some people get left behind and others get taken? There's, I think there's a lot of... And there's no amount of apology in the world that can make up for that.
They took away so much from us. I'm sorry that happened to you. Oh well, I'm sorry you're a dickhead too, you know? Is it really going to make a difference?
Because everybody's going to be mad, be angry, and you've got to try to let go of it. But it's a hard thing to let go of. How do you let go of something like that? Maybe that's why mom didn't go back, and if that's why, I don't blame her. Well, after the residential schools, they had Indian residential schools for over 100 years in Canada, so there were many generations of children who went through there.
And the government of Canada had said, right off the top, the Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, who was the first Prime Minister of Canada, wrote in letters and documents that the... And I think even talked to told the House of Commons that the reason they were doing this was because if you educate savages they simply become savages who can read but if you put them in a school where they'll be taught by religious people and by white people Then you can take the Indian out of the child that was the intention of the residential schools And when my our mother came out of the residential school She didn't go back to the reserve. So maybe they succeeded in what they were trying to do to some degree. Some perverse kind of a change, I don't know. And then...
I'm going to go smoke a cigarette. What about you? Well, you know what, if one's out, two's out... I could use some air. Yes.
That's a provoking thought. Would it make a difference? Well, I think the only thing that can really make a difference is if the government stops doing that stuff. And if people who aren't Native stop thinking they're superior to us.
That's what I think. But you know after they closed down the residential schools, they still weren't finished with their policy of trying to get the Indian children away from their parents. The 60s Scoop began. And when were we born?
In the 1960s. And what was the policy of the 60s Scoop? It was to put Indian children into white homes.
To take away the Indian... in the child, which is basically they kind of succeeded, but not really. I mean, we always knew who we were though. So, sure.
So how did they have a language of our own to speak? We had to speak white. This is true.
We learned white. Did we get to speak any native? No, we didn't know any native.
We were taken away. And that's, you know, that's sort of, you know, sad because I'd see Native growing up and they'd talk to me normal, like, you know, you and I now. English.
And they'd sit there and say, yeah, English, sorry. They'd speak English, right? But then they'd say, you know, where are you from? I'm from Edmonton.
What reserve are you from? Fond du Lac up north. Oh, okay, I'm Blackfoot. I'm, you know, Crow. I'm whatever, you know.
And they say, can you speak any of your language? I'm going, I don't know a single word. All I know is white.
And they go, that is so sad. So what about you guys? I always knew I was an Indian.
I always knew that I was Native too, but it was just... And that's something they can never take away from me. I am First Nations.
And I will always be. the First Nations. I didn't even know what First Nations was until a year ago.
Seriously? Seriously. Well, because in California, like in the United States, they don't, I don't think they use that term, do they? So what do they use for the natives down there? Like, like...
Indians! They call them Native Americans. Yeah, Native Americans.
As far as First Nations, I didn't know what First Nations was. I don't know what was going on with it, but when they took me, like, I remember the day. I remember the day.
And an RCMP officer came with a social worker. And they took me from her and she was crying. And I remember, I was wearing a dress that day and I was three years old. And I remember that they put me in the front seat of the police car, because it was a police car they had. I think it was a police car.
And anyway, it was a car and it was a hot sun. It was a sunny summer day, it was June, and the seat was hot and it burned. You know how when you're wearing shorts and you're on a hot seat? And I remember that it would burn my legs and the social worker took me and held me on her lap. And then I remember that I was in an airplane looking down.
I knew I was in an airplane. And then... I, you know, I ended up on this farm.
Did she ever talk about us? Um... I know maybe she maybe discussed with you too maybe, but she talked about us too, ever?
Yeah, yeah, well I mean I talked to her about things. I have a book. I didn't know if I should bring out one thing at a time or...
Do you know how painful that must have been for her? Yeah, that would have been, I think, extremely painful. Yeah, yeah, like when I, the first times I met her, I didn't, well, I did, I did ask her about stuff, and I, one thing that I do do, this is her funeral card.
Okay. Um, you can have one of these. Do you guys want to hear the eulogy I gave at her funeral?
No. That's okay then, babe. Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
Mm-mm. I'm going to, later I'll share it with Ben. You know, I looked for you guys for a long time.
And when I was looking through my papers and stuff, I was finding evidence of the search that was going back. Like, look at the colour of this paper. And you know, everybody asks us, says, Oh, that sounds so great. You're going to have a reunion, a family reunion.
And I say, No. It's not a reunion. Everyone's thinking it's a reunion. It's not a reunion because we've never been together.
This is a family union. Next year at my house will be a family reunion. Just putting it out there one more time.
Come here baby girl. If you guys start crying... Laughter Laughter Laughter Laughter Laughter Laughter Oh wow Oh This is so good Laughter Laughter Oh Long time coming guys.
Hello. Long time. Oh, I love you all so much.
I love you so much. I love you. The hardest thing is...
Knowing the pain that Mary Jane must have gone through when we were taken away from her and... Just her having to live her life without her children. I mean, she kept having children, and then every time they'd get taken away. And I don't know how her life was in residential school.
I know it was hard. I kind of associate residential schools with jail myself, because that's essentially what they were doing, I think. And then growing up and having your own children and then they're gone. That's hard for me to fathom how Mary Jane's life must have been. I know she coped the best she could.
Now that we've connected, it's going to be a lot better, a lot easier to cope with. I can call any of them anytime of the day or night. They'll be there and they know exactly what I'm going through because they're going through the same thing.
We're gonna go with... We'll start with that. We'll start with that.
The cake is in the oven and I want to go timer and I want to go 30. There we go. I am done. I am out.
Birthday cake is in the oven. Yay! Yay!
Well, it's 211 birthdays we've missed, but we're going to also celebrate Ben's birthday that happens two weeks from now. So we might as well do 212. Oh, okay. That sounds good.
So do you think we could do two? a one and a two with the 10 animals. Why don't we get enough to go all the way around the cake?
Why don't we just get 20 and then that should cover it. I think this would be so difficult. The cake's not done, make it out. Well, you put this much thought into one birthday cake. That's right.
And like, we've got 200... 12 birthday cakes we're making up for so it can have a few minutes of attention. Yes it can.
I think we would like some four birthday balloons. Oh yes. The other question I wanted to ask, I've been trying to find a local person, do you have a second hand store here?
Yeah I saw one on Banff. We passed right by it. I'm sorry.
Betty and Peter's There's also one on this street and it's open quite late. It's just down to the left beneath the movie theatre. There's a set of stairs that goes down.
No. Yeah. Yeah, that one's huge too.
They've got like everything. I'll go check it out if I were you. It's really nice. I think we need these.
We'll take four of these, too. For the party. He doesn't want one.
Three of these things are going to seem the same, and one of these things is not. I'm going to wear my hat on the plane. Oh my goodness. It's been just a while.
Four plus one. So I was thinking maybe right here, I need that whole thing right there. You know, it's up to you. You're in charge of the matter.
No, I understand. I'm delegating. I'm out.
I'm just saying. Tape or something. You get to make a decision.
I get to make a decision. Yeah. Now we can do each other's. Oh, for sure. Shoot.
No, don't you even think you can do that. You have no choice. Crip cut, crip cut, crip cut. So I have to take at least one off in the corner here.
It's going to take me a while to light these, so... Um, I'm gonna, hmm. I think this may be a two-person job.
One of those long ladders, and one of my friends is called Johnny the Wad Match. Oh yeah? Big ones.
Oh yeah, yeah. The flame flowers are out to here. Did you get all 60 of the candles on, Esther?
Yes. So this is less than half of our actual birthdays. We're going to burn the place down this much. Well, I'm worried about this.
smoke detector going off. Open the window a little bit there. Oh, is that okay?
I didn't mean to turn that one off just yet. Is that okay, though? That's fine.
All right. I'm going to start turning the lights out. Oh, open the door a little bit in case it does smoke up or something. No, it'll be fine, Ben. They're just birthday candles.
It's not the fire pit. Why is all the rest going? Like, why is that one flame going so quick?
Oh my God, the two is on! It's on fire. Blow it out, blow it out, blow it out, blow it out. Do we have tongs? Let me get it out of here.
Blow it out quick. Uh oh. Blow it out quick.
Somebody lit the tube. Who lit the tube? You were supposed to light the two, it's not a candle. Still flashing, it's okay. That's too funny.
You know the smoke detector's gonna go off, right? That's why I said open the door so it doesn't do that. What?
Take the two outside so it doesn't sit off our smoke detector. Oh, shoot. Oops. Careful.
How is this going? Just fine. It's out.
Okay. Here we go. Here we go. We'll just sing.
Happy birthday to us. Happy birthday to us. Happy birthday dear Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve's kids. Okay. Adam and Eve.
Hey dear Rosalie, Esther, Ben and Vivian. Happy birthday to us. And many more. I pity the country, I pity the state, and the mind of a man, thrives on hate, smaller the lives.
Silly civil servants, they thrive off my body, their trip is with power. Back begging in welfare Police they arrest me Materialists they test me Pollution chokes me Movies they joke me Politicians exploit me City life that jades me Hudson Bay fleets me And Ding-Dong's freak me Government is bumbling Revolution's rumbling Ruling impunity is traditional continuity. I pity the country, I pity the state, and the mind of a man who thrives on hate.