First Peoples and Anti-Oppression

By Asher

Featured photo by Taylor D.

When I first came to Canada when I was 14, I learnt about residential schools as well as the treatment of the First Nations people.

I felt mad because it is cruel to hold prejudice of any kind and the fact that they tried to change a whole people group into something different, is infuriating and disturbing.

I did a lot of research about these issues, and I learned more about them. I've also read about unfair treatment, verbal abuse, and even physical abuse towards the First Nations people, which is heartbreaking and disturbing.

Although I am still frustrated by these incidents, something I learned is that history may never be changed, but what we can do now is to make changes for the future by practicing anti-oppression.

Anti-oppression is what we use to challenge systems of oppression in our society.

A few examples of systems of oppression are racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism. These systems of oppression are bringing hate to our society and pulling us down as a whole.

That's why it's our job to fight for change.

In one of our sessions, we learnt about an idea called the staircase of oppression.

It showed that our experiences may lead to stereotypes, which leads to prejudice in our thinking, and then discrimination in our actions, which then support the existing systems of oppression.

But to fight against systems of oppression, we would have to start with being aware of them.

Being aware means that we must understand the whole situation. Then we can become allies to the people being oppressed.

After becoming allies in solidarity, with all of us having one common goal, we can finally work towards equity.

Bearing the 'staircase of oppression' in mind, I think we can all try to work towards one common goal.

By educating ourselves, educating people around us and spreading positivity, we can make society better as a whole.