Law, faith and tradition

Dear editors,

I am seething after reading the article by Rosie Di Manno in the Toronto Star titled “Law, faith, and tradition – none of them saved Makayla.”

It is so sad that this happened to such a beautiful, loving family.

It is disgraceful that the Toronto Star would run such a vile and blaming article directed at grieving parents. It shows that prejudice is a cancer in our society and these very same attitudes prevailed when children were ripped from their homes to be forced into cultural genocide in the name of “education” in the residential school era. The author discredits our traditional medicines, which undermines the significance of the Onkwehon:we contributions to modern medicine.

The question should be, “Why are our children succumbing to rare cancers?” I suppose admitting that conforming to non-native ways has had devastating effects to First Nation peoples’ health and well being would be asking too much of an uninformed zealot like Ms. Di Manno. In one statement dripping with sarcasm she disputes that the Two Row Times are not bringing the “Native perspective to the news” by quoting the devout parents.

For generations religion was rammed so far down our throats at the church-run residential schools most of us are ironically far more “Christian” than our non-native counterparts. That is clearly apparent when columnist Di Manno takes the Lord’s name in vain when she states “For the love of God, 11 years old, never to see 12.” Her ignorance is unbelievable when she ends with “One child has already been sacrificed on the altar of collective aboriginal rights.”

Not to undermine the unfortunate ending of this situation, but what about the thousands of aboriginal children that were sacrificed for centuries on the altar of collective greed?

Put away your poison pens and wake up, people! The true poison is in our water, the air we breathe, the foods we now eat and foremost by the way we are treated in the mainstream media.  We Onkwehon:we have the non-native way of life to thank in the first place.

Kristina Austin