Re: 鈥淓very Indigenous person is Indigenous enough,鈥� column, Dec. 30.
Thank you, Charla Huber, for your column.
At the age of 10 when I moved to Victoria from Manitoba, I told a girl that I was M茅tis and she called me a derogatory word, one I had never heard before.
After that experience, I decided to identify as English/Scottish (my father鈥檚 heritage) and besides, my skin is fair and freckled.
Because of the lightness of my skin, I get varied reactions from people when I identify as M茅tis. Some are kind, some have no clue what M茅tis is or don鈥檛 believe me until I show them my card.
I have even seen a retired woman make rope-hanging gestures to mock Louis Riel, after telling her my great (times three) grandfather Romain Lagimodiere was Louis Riel鈥檚 uncle and one of his pallbearers.
During the Riel Rebellion, many of my ancestors had to leave the Red River Valley, and those who stayed were persecuted. One of my ancestors was almost killed, but survived by jumping into the Red River after his house was raided and family assaulted.
One M茅tis memory I have as a child is my grandfather tracing the M茅tis Infinity flag on my arm to remind me: 鈥淚t鈥檚 in our blood.鈥�
I am proud to be M茅tis, but for a very long time I wasn鈥檛. I come from the 鈥淲e don鈥檛 talk about it鈥� generation and firmly believe in the old English proverb: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know where you鈥檙e going until you know where you鈥檝e been.鈥�
Kendall Arnold
Sooke
