In the Fall 2019 I was enrolled in an upper level English course centred around literature from the BC interior; which, focused heavily on Indigenous content. The essay I wrote was on George Bowering’s book “Shoot!”. It is a historical fiction read about the McLean gang, and it takes place on Chilcotin territory in the later 1870s. The McLean’s had both, Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood, so my thesis was on colonizing the soul and the difficulty of living in two worlds when you do not feel accepted by either or.
I feel like this issue infects our youth all too often. For myself, I know that writing this essay felt very familiar. My father is Greek, Ukrainian, and my mother is Dakelh and Swedish. I had a difficult time trying to figure out where I fit into society. I feel like persevering through those times has placed me into a position where I can try and help kids deal with those same struggles with identity, whatever their background may be.
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