Elucidating Questions

I really don’t get territorial acknowledgements

I respectfully acknowledge that I’m on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen speaking peoples

Great

And?

You’re just going to keep going about your day after this?

Are you going to acknowledge the extra-generational forces that make those people more at risk of substance abuse and physical abuse and homelessness and do something about it?

Like it just feels as if it’s a white people cop out

I acknowledged you

So now I can go about my day without even considering how myself and everyone else being on those very lands negatively impacts those peoples?

I don’t know how other people do it

Every time I encounter a blockade I become aware of how it also affects others

And then I can’t forget

And I learn about how others are affected by things

I don’t know how acknowledging that someone is suffering is any better than ignoring it if it doesn’t come with real action to battle that suffering.

Oh I’m so sorry you’re suffering

Bye!

Does that actually help anyone?

Man, if I had the power I’d just make us a new place to live and give all of Turtle Island back

But of course that would also cause so many problems because the system has so many of those very people depending on it

It’s this sick unbalanced mayhem

I just don’t know how you can acknowledge something and not do anything at the same time