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indigenous peoples’ day
reminder: “this is stolen land”

“After a ‘land acknowledgement’ at our school this year, I took one of my students' water bottles and walked to the front of the class.

I then acknowledged that it was their water bottle and in the spirit of reconciliation, I felt it important to acknowledge that it was theirs as that would help heal 'all of us' for my behaviour. I then placed it on my desk.

They looked at me and I asked them what was wrong. They told me they wanted their water bottle back.”

1/2

“Apparently the words of acknowledgement without the action of reconciliation (returning of stolen property for example) didn't work for them.

A fruitful discussion ensued.”

2/2

— Russ Aegard

@iraantlers Now imagine the water bottle exchanged hands hundreds of times since you took it. Thousands of children now depend on the water bottle for their lives, and would become refugees if the water bottle were returned to the mere 100s of ancestors of the student from whom you took the water bottle from. The children who now depend on the water bottle did nothing wrong and committed no crime.

@iraantlers A trolley is hurtling toward 25 million people whose distant ancestors committed a crime. If you turn the trolley, it will mildly hurt 800,000 people whose ancestors were the victims of a crime.