The article It’s Not My Job to Teach You about Indigenous People by Mel Lefebvre has validated my feelings as an Indigneous person. My personal experiences and trauma I have endured due to my Cree-Métis identity is what makes me distinct from other Indigenous people. I am often put in a position where non-indigneous people ask for my opinion, as if I owe it to them to share my experiences or am an expert on all things Indigneous. The thing is, I am also learning how to accept my culture that has been denied for so long. I was raised in an atmosphere where being Indigenous was something to ashamed about. It did not help that my family was the "stereotypical" version of an Indigenous family. What mainstream society fails to see is that intergenerational trauma is very real, and is permeated within my family. As an impressional Indigenous youth, the racism, prejudices and stereotypes I received on a daily basis cemented my beliefs that I am not worthy of equality or belonging. The experiences I continue to encounter bring up feelings of injustice and anger, but it is difficult to sort through them when my voice was constantly silenced and invalidated as a child. I am often placed in a difficult posiiton when I am asked condescending questions by ignorant individuals, as if it is my duty to change their perspective.

https://thewalrus.ca/its-not-my-job-to-teach-you-about-indigenous-people/