2014 SIMFC Valedictorian Address
- Andre Bear-Couillonneur | June 16, 2014
The following is the 2014 Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre Native Graduate Recognition Event's Valedictorian address delivered by Andre Bear-Couillonneur.
Tansi niciwakinak kinanaskumptinawow
Good Evening, I give thanks for all of you being here. My name is Andre Bear niya nehieyawsikason Wapastim Koh Oh Toteet Sakastinohk Napew. My Cree name is White Horse Who Comes from the East Man. Tonight I am humbly honored to be your 2014 SIMFC Valedictorian.
I am holding this keihiew feather, and this feather alone is my most prized and most sacred possession. A cherished friend that I made during my grade 12 year honored me with this feather. It was said that this feather had travelled across Turtle Island and that it holds many stories from many people and it has experienced many ceremonies. These were stories of hurt, injustice, stories of our people from long ago who have walked mother earth in this physical world. The stories of our old ones, teach us the battles we must face to carry on the legacy of freedom and love that we as Indian people once knew. It is said that the young people, will be the ones to carry out the dreams of the old ones. Every one of you, carry the battles of a thousand ancestors who walk before you. Every one of you are carefully guided, directed and protected by these old people. Our ancestors have never died in vain, because their spirits thrive and live amongst all of us. The honoring of an eagle feather represents the journey of these ancestors, the legacy at the same time it tells our own stories. We must first seek who we are and find ourselves within what is real and what is true.
I believe in who we are as First Nations and Métis peoples because we are real, true and natural. As always the only real and natural thing within our physical world is our lands, our waters. Mother Earth is what is true, the grandest most magnificent teacher there is. I was told that this feather also means that our dreams do come true. As long as you continue to find yourselves and remain connected, anything you could possibly dream of is possible, it represents that you should never bound your beliefs and always let your spirit soar. I will say it again, dreams do come true. Every natural teacher like this feather brings us back to the land, our ceremonies. Finding yourself within this is what honors your ancestors and launches you onto the path of greatness, the path of love and freedom, the path of truth. As you look amongst my fellow peers you can see that we have indeed found that path, with are the 7th generation, and tonight I say watch closely as we change this world.
From a place of injustice, pain, hurt and suffering. We have every single statistic standing in our way. We are more likely to be in jail then to graduate, we are most likely to turn to drugs then deal with our realities, and we are most likely to take our own lives then to live the lives we do. We did NOT create these statistics ourselves. No, this is not a hereditary outcome that we as Indian people are born with. These statistics are forced upon our people each and every day by the dominant colonial oppressor. As it was once said to me, the greatest genocide in the history of mankind was the genocide of First Nations peoples within North America. When we look at our young people, strong and proud we can see that this genocide has never completed. But the reality of our society is that the genocide has never ended. Every day our peoples face the extinction imposed by the oppressor in regards of total control to the lands and waters.
As long as we have our young people, as long as we have our pride and ceremonies, as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and rivers flow we as Indian people will continue to persevere with great pride and resilience. From the bottom of my heart, I look at my fellow graduates and the battles they overcame to get to this point in our lives. I am proud. As the supporters and loved ones of these young people I know you feel the same way, the same way Our Creator, mamowootoweemow is proud these young people.
When I look around this room, I can feel the old ones, our ancestors are with us, and we make them smile. They have never and will never leave our sides. If I could leave one thing for my fellow graduates to remember, its this. Remember what is real, and what is true. As you go amongst your journeys remember our ancestors and that they are always with you and that they love you. When you are sad, when you are alone, when you are in need of guidance and direction. Ask. And they will come; they will hold you until you find the strength to pick yourselves up again. We as Indian people are eternal, we as Indian people are love, we are freedom, and we are light.
Kinanaskumptin, I thank you.