Graduation Speech: State Attawapiskat

I am truly sorry to hear about the state Attawapiskat is in and the way you have to go through all these problems of poverty. All the things I read about what’s happening truly horrifies me I am sorry this is what you have to go through you don’t deserve any of it. Everyone deserves to have a happy life no one deserves to feel the need to end their life because they can’t handle it. You’re truly brave to have been dealing with these problems to tell you the truth I don’t know if I could handle it either. Giving up your life is not the answer trust me think about all the people who love you and what you have to offer the world one day even though things may seem hard right now I hope from the bottom of my heart they get better who knows when
Your worth more then you’ve been treated you are equal as any human and its time we start showing you that. I know Canada can’t fix the damage they have already done it may take time but we are going to try to help the damage we have done its normal to feel this way. The residential schools should have never even happened the way we tried to make you Indians into something you not were the most stupid idea ever you should be able to be yourself and live your life the way you want to not being forced into something you’re not. There is nothing wrong with you Indians your lifestyle is your choice no one in their right mind should take that away from you. I know a lot of you want to stay in Attawapiskat because after all that’s where you grew up but the lifestyle is not fair you deserve better you are important and all your life’s matter all the kids committing suicides is a big problem all the drugs and alcohol just to escape reality and pain I feel for you guys. These suicides need to be stopped this poverty needs to be stopped we need more doctors and nurses for your hospitals that fact that there isn’t enough of them to treat patients is ridiculous and there needs to be something done about that to treat you Indians for the
Poverty is hard it’s not easy being in financial issues it pretty much sucks to feel hopeless like things are getting worse like no matter how hard you try to be strong you want to live a good life you want to be able to get things you dream of its okay to be selfish one in a while because money can help a lot of things become better the health system it can help with food and resources but love and hope is what you need to hold on to for now cause money is nothing without family your people deserve so much after the way you been treated I apologize for everything that has happened to you I can relate to the money problems I am grateful for the things I have but sometimes it feels hopeless I just want to see the day when my parents will stop worrying about money and my mom doesn’t have to work another day in her life I wish I could help I wish things didn’t have to so hard I try to keep a smile on my face cause I know I have it good but sometimes I feel like breaking down because I know my mom and dad work so hard to provide me and my 2 other sisters and they don’t even get anything out of it themselves they always worry and care for us and try not to