Reconciling the Power of One Story | Angela Sterritt | TEDxJIBC

Summary

The speaker reflects on their experiences as an Indigenous person growing up in a society that often erased and misrepresented their identity. From childhood storytelling to realizing the absence of Indigenous representation in media and education, they describe their journey to reclaim and share their people's history. They became a journalist to challenge stereotypes and fight for accurate portrayals of Indigenous communities. Highlighting moments of change in journalism and society, the speaker emphasizes the resilience, beauty, and survival of Indigenous people and their ongoing fight for recognition and justice.

Takeaways

• 📖 Storytelling was ingrained in the speaker from a young age, and they were recognized as a natural storyteller.
• 📚 Growing up, the speaker noticed that the books they read were centered around white characters and authors, with no representation of indigenous or diverse communities.
• ❌ The speaker felt that indigenous people were erased from institutions such as schools, news, and media, and stereotyped as savages or subhuman.
• 🛑 In high school, indigenous identity was further marginalized and misrepresented, with little to no accurate portrayal of their culture and history in educational materials.
• 💔 The speaker struggled with their indigenous identity, feeling shame and even lying about their background due to the harmful stereotypes ingrained in society.
• 💪 The speaker's relatives fought for indigenous rights in court, using the legal system to assert their right to land and recognition despite challenges and systemic erasure.
• 🖋️ The speaker found solace and empowerment through writing, using it as a tool to counter the victim narrative and portray the resilience and strength of indigenous people.
• 🎥 Media representation of indigenous people was minimal, often inaccurate, or non-existent, reinforcing harmful stereotypes. The speaker became a journalist to change that narrative.
• 🌟 The speaker highlighted key moments of change in media, such as the '8th Fire' series, the Idle No More movement, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which brought greater awareness to indigenous issues.
• 👥 The speaker emphasized that indigenous people are still here, resilient, and thriving, despite historical and ongoing erasure. They continue to fight for accurate representation and recognition.

Q & A

What early experiences contributed to the speaker's passion for storytelling?

The speaker's passion for storytelling began in preschool, where teachers observed them reading to other children, even from upside-down books. Their parents described them as a 'natural-born storyteller,' and their love for reading continued through childhood, where they breezed through books.

How did the speaker realize the lack of representation in the books they read during childhood?

As the speaker reflected on the books they read in elementary school, they noticed a pattern: all the stories were about white characters, written by white authors, with no diversity or indigenous representation. This realization prompted them to ask others on Twitter about their childhood reading experiences, revealing similar patterns.

What was the speaker’s expectation when they started high school, and how was it met?

The speaker expected to learn more about their indigenous heritage in subjects like history and social studies. However, they were disappointed to find only minimal, stereotypical content about indigenous people, such as a single paragraph and a black-and-white photo in their textbook, which reinforced negative stereotypes.

How did the speaker’s perception of their indigenous identity evolve during childhood and adolescence?

As a child, the speaker felt ashamed of their indigenous identity and even lied about their heritage, claiming to be of other ethnicities. In high school, this sense of shame was compounded by the negative stereotypes about indigenous people being impoverished, failures, and uncivilized. Over time, they began to internalize these harmful stereotypes.

Who were the speaker’s ‘warrior uncles,’ and how did they influence the speaker?

The speaker’s ‘warrior uncles’ were involved in a significant Aboriginal rights and title case. They fought using legal tools and shared their knowledge with the speaker, portraying resilience and strength. Meeting them challenged the speaker's initial stereotyped perceptions of indigenous warriors and inspired them to see their people in a positive light.

What event triggered the speaker to begin changing their narrative about indigenous people?

The speaker’s desire to change the narrative about indigenous people began after realizing how indigenous history and identity were erased from institutions like schools and media. This realization, combined with their experiences growing up and witnessing their uncles' legal fight for indigenous rights, motivated them to challenge stereotypes and tell accurate stories.

How did the media contribute to the erasure and misrepresentation of indigenous people, according to the speaker?

The media contributed to the erasure and misrepresentation of indigenous people by either completely ignoring them or perpetuating harmful stereotypes, such as portraying them as greedy or violent. Indigenous people were rarely shown in a positive or modern light, and their stories were often rejected or dismissed as biased by editors.

What role did the CBC’s ‘8th Fire’ series play in changing indigenous representation in media?

The CBC’s ‘8th Fire’ series, which aired in 2011, was a significant milestone in changing indigenous representation in media. It featured indigenous reporters and told stories about a variety of indigenous people, not just the usual stereotypes. This series allowed indigenous voices to be heard and portrayed indigenous communities accurately.

What was the impact of the Idle No More movement on indigenous representation in the media?

The Idle No More movement in 2012 brought together indigenous and non-indigenous people to protest for water rights, leading to increased media coverage of indigenous voices. It was a pivotal moment for indigenous journalists, who reported extensively on the movement, and it helped shift the narrative by featuring more indigenous perspectives on national media.

What change did the Truth and Reconciliation Commission bring to how indigenous stories were told in the media?

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission marked a watershed moment for indigenous storytelling in media. It allowed hundreds of thousands of indigenous people to share their experiences, especially regarding residential schools, and for the first time, these stories were believed and covered extensively in mainstream media, helping to educate the public about indigenous history.