Transcript
Transcript: Addressing Microaggressions Towards Indigenous Peoples
[00:00:00 Animated video opens with a white male waving at us. As Noah folds his arms across his chest, four circles appear around him depicting: a group of people; the Canadian flag and wordmark; a person working at a desk, the Canadian Parliament buildings.]
Narrator: This is Noah, a friendly and outgoing coworker appreciated by his team. A public servant who, without realizing it, is about to make a blunder with serious consequences.
[00:00:11 Noah and a diverse group of colleagues are seated around a table.]
Narrator: The meeting is coming to an end when suddenly...
Tanya: Oh my gosh, the news just came out. The Supreme Court has unanimously recognized
[00:00:21 We see Tanya's laptop showing a news brief titled "Court says Bill C-92 Constitutional.]
Tanya: that Bill C-92 is constitutional, which affirms the right in jurisdiction of Indigenous peoples in matters of child and family services.
[00:00:25 A diverse group of colleagues are seated around a table.]
Kim: Seriously? It's about time.
[00:00:29 Noah frowns, then groans.]
Noah: Not again. I think it's time that Indigenous people get over it and move on.
[00:00:35 Noah's colleagues' eyes go wide with shock. Their mouths open in disbelief. Overlaid text on screen: "Get over it and move on!"]
Narrator: A quiet unease fills the room. Noah's comment disturbs several team members, particularly affecting three of his Indigenous colleagues, Tanya, Terry, and Kim. All three look at one another, surprised, jaw dropped. Let's pause and analyze the scene with psychologist Judith Morency.
[00:00:55 Judith Morency appears overlaid on screen. Text on screen: Dr. Judith Morency, Ph.D., Psychologist working with First Nations for 33 years. Additional text appears on screen: Insensitivity; Indifference; Ignorance.]
Judith Morency: Noah's sudden statement has sent shockwaves through the room all at once because it shows insensitivity, indifference, and likely ignorance of the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples through colonization. Noah's words contain many clichés but are far from harmless.
[00:01:20 Overlaid text on screen: Be quiet; Don't bother us; Solve your own problems: It's not my concern: Life goes on.]
Judith Morency: They carry significant emotional weight. 1.20 It's like saying, be quiet, don't bother us. Solve your own problems. It's not my concern. Life goes on. Noah's remark dismisses the suffering, assaults, and traumas that continue to affect many Indigenous people and communities today. Once again, Indigenous voices are silenced and made invisible. Noah's comment is a micro-aggression that reopens old wounds, breaks trust, and damages relationships.
[00:01:52 Terry, Tanya, and Kim are seen frowning. Ringing bells appear over each of their heads.]
Narrator: Let's go back to the conversation. Instantly, a warning bell goes off in the minds of Tanya, Terry, and Kim. Behind this silence, what are these three Indigenous colleagues really thinking?
[00:02:02 We zoom in on Tanya.]
Narrator: Tanya, who is a proud Métis from Red River, is offended.
[00:02:07 A thought bubble appears over Tanya. It contains archival photos of a Métis family, and a residential school.]
Tanya: Does he even realize what he just said? Isn't he aware of the impacts of colonization on Métis and other Indigenous peoples and of what children have endured for generations? My own grandmother was forced to go to a residential school. That comment is outrageous.
[00:02:23 Terry, Tanya, and Kim are still frowning. We zoom in on Terry.]
Narrator: Terry, who is Inuk from Iqaluit, feels insulted.
[00:02:27 A thought bubble appears over Terry. It contains photos of an Inuit town, and an Inuit cemetery. A red arrow points upwards across the photo.]
Terry: How could Noah show such contempt? Do I need to state suicide statistics of Inuit youth, which are 10 times higher than the national average, for him to understand the disparity between his world and mine?
[00:02:40 Terry, Tanya, and Kim are still frowning. We zoom in on Kim.]
Narrator: Kim, who is Ojibwe Saulteaux from the northwest of Ontario, is deeply hurt.
[00:02:45 A thought bubble appears over Kim. It contains the animated image of the group of colleagues seated at the table, and a photo of an Indigenous youth living on the streets. Overlaid text on screen: 41% Indigenous youth suffer from food insecurity (2022 Statistics Canada).]
Kim: Wow, I don't want to work with this team anymore. I bet that some of my colleagues share Noah's views. Even today, the disparities remain so significant. 41% of Indigenous youth living in major Canadian cities suffer from food insecurity.
[00:03:06 Kim gets up and leaves the meeting.]
Kim: Oh, well, what's the point? They don't want to hear it anyway.
[00:03:06 Three colleagues are seen at the table. A Black colleague stands up and addresses Noah sternly.]
Colleague: Noah, are you aware of what you just said?
Tanya: This kind of comment is unacceptable.
[00:03:16 We zoom in on Tanya.]
Tanya: Noah, when you say get over it and move on, it's super hurtful. It gives the impression that the harm and suffering experienced by those close to me are unimportant. It's not just about the past, but also about how it still affects them today. There are so many challenges ahead.
[00:03:33 The group of colleagues continue to frown at Noah. He has an ashamed look on his face. We see close ups of Tanya, then Terry.]
Terry: There are numerous repercussions that we, Inuit, and also First Nations and Métis, experience in our daily lives.
[00:03:41 Split screen: Terry, and a series of photos depicting scenes of Indigenous daily life. One photo in the montage is of a residential school.]
Terry: Not so long ago, our cultures, languages, security, independence, beliefs, and freedoms had been radically removed from the Indigenous way of being. These past actions still impact everyday Indigenous lives. More than half of all foster children in Canada are Indigenous, mainly Inuit, even though Indigenous kids only represent less than 8% of the child population.
[00:04:06 Noah appears full screen, looking sad and apologetic.]
Narrator: Noah, visibly unsettled, realizes the gravity of what he said.
Noah: I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I didn't realize that my comment might come across as dismissive of your experiences. I'm really sorry, and I apologize.
[00:04:19 Terry appears full screen and speaks to Noah.]
Terry: To me, reconciliation isn't about getting over it, but it's about setting right those past wrongs. It's about working together on an equal footing and having everyone, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, on par with one another.
[00:04:35 Noah and his colleagues, except Kim, are seated at the table. An outline of an elephant slowly replaces the image of the colleagues at the table. Overlaid text appears on screen: Colonial history; Racism; Forced re-location; Louis Riel's hanging; Poverty; White privilege denial; Indian Act; Race; Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; Silencing; Theft of land; Sixties Scoop; Residential schools; Patriarchy.]
Narrator: Naively, without considering the broader implications, Noah brought the colonial elephant into the room and deeply affected the relationship. With a few words, which he thought were harmless, Noah undermined reconciliation efforts. Misconceptions and misunderstandings are hard to undo.
[00:04:54 A white female colleague appears full screen, overlaid on the elephant, followed by Terry, Tanya, a Black female colleague, and Kim.]
Narrator: It's everyone's responsibility to speak up after they hear inappropriate or misinformed comments. Even when it may be difficult to do so, it's important to stand up and take action.
[00:05:05 Noah appears standing alone. Text on screen: Reconciliation; Shared responsibility; Relationship; Mutual respect; Correcting wrongs; Active steps.]
Narrator: Reconciliation is a shared responsibility. It's about renewing and maintaining a relationship of mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in this country. It's also about correcting the wrongs that were done and committing to taking active steps for the actions needed for change.
[00:05:24 Noah is joined by Terry, Tanya, and Kim. None are smiling.]
Narrator: Learn from Noah's blunder. Be part of the solution.
[00:05:24 A series of archival photos show a residential school cemetery; Indigenous youths flanked by nuns outside a residential school; an Indigenous woman identified only by a number; a notebook titled "Indigenous Rights".]
Narrator: Be aware of the past, acknowledge the harm that was done and its ongoing negative consequences. Learn now about the true history of colonization and its impacts. Find out about the government's commitments to reconciliation and the rights of Indigenous peoples.
You have a role to play.
[00:05:47 Animated CSPS logo appears. Text on screen: canada.ca/school.]
[00:05:53 Canada wordmark appears.]
