A Brief But Spectacular take on generational healing

Transcript

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Geoff Bennett: Finally tonight, Tia Kennedy is an indigenous rights activist in Canada. But growing up, she struggled to access indigenous culture and practices. As an adult, Kennedy says she's realized those practices held 1000s of years worth of wisdom to help improve individuals and society. Tonight she shares her Brief But Spectacular take on generational healing.

Tia Kennedy, Indigenous Rights Activist In Canada: We grew up with a lot of health anxiety in my household because of things like not having access to clean water. And I remember there was one time I went to my friend's house and they had offered me a glass of water. And then they took it from the tap and my mom got really concerned about it. She had grown up in an environment where drinking from the top was dangerous. And so in that instance, she feared for my life by drinking out of the kitchen sink.

So I come from two First Nations communities from Southwestern Ontario one of them is Kashechewan (ph), which is (INAUDIBLE) island First Nation and Onyota'a:ka, Oneida Nation of the Thames. My grandmother passed away from cancer and we suspect it happened from the chemical dumping that was constantly happening close to our first nation and within the waterways. She died before the age of 40. Her sister died before the age of 30 and her other sister died before the age of 30.

It just doesn't make sense how so much pollution can go into these waterways and take matriarchs from our community at such young ages.

Currently, there's about 52 boil water advisories that are still in effect today. Across 33 First Nation communities in Canada. When we don't have access to things like clean water, it's really heartbreaking. To us water is a medicine. When people cry we collect those tears because it's a form of medicine to us we live what's called (INAUDIBLE) so the good life it's to ensure that we protect food for the next seven generations and we're never taking more than we need.

It's a huge part of who we are and our identity. Because we carry ancestral wisdom that we've held for thousands and thousands of years, you're really just doing a disservice to yourself by not including us into these conversations.

As a national ban as (INAUDIBLE) people, we are responsible to be the caretakers of Mother Earth as a future ancestor. I have a role and responsibility to fulfill and that is taking care of myself, and taking care of my community and taking care of the planet so that I can ensure that the next seven generations will have a place to call home. My name is Tia Kennedy. And this is my Brief But Spectacular take on generational healing.