This week we had presentations on the indigenous feminism textbook. We presented on chapter 10, “a Spare Thought for Metis Women Elderhood”. I found this chapter very interesting as she used storytelling to show the issues among metis elders. I specifically was passionate about the lack of rights these elders grew up with, therefore leading to poverty and other social issues. In our brief research, my partner and I discovered that metis people only obtained indigenous rights in 2003. This means that most of the metis elders have gone most their lives without proper rights. This has had an obvious effect on the population of metis elders. According to our chapter, women metis elders have even more difficulties then male elders. When we take in account intersectionality, it makes sense that these groups have many issues in common but also separate struggles. 

            One main difference is the gender roles growing up. In Angelica’s story, she remembers that her mother in law ‘trained’ her to be the matriarch of the family. She also says that you are forced to take on this role, whether you want to or not. I found this part interesting because of the language she uses regarding the gender role. Words like “trained” and “forced” lead me to believe that she was not comfortable in her role as matriarch. This made me think that this responsibility can be a burden on many women. They have spent their whole lives taking care of their families but now that they are elders, no one is there to support them.

            Why are metis women elders especially vulnerable? One reason is that they are susceptible to poor health. Poor health is all connected to poverty, diet, housing and access to services. Many of these are factors for indigenous elders, therefore illness is more common. Among elders there can also be a level of fear when it comes to institutions and doctors, as these places can leave them exposed to racism. The experiences they had when they were young in these places may have been traumatizing and dangerous. This leads many elders to avoid seeking support.         

One thing that I felt was important, was that there needs to be resources for working with elders. Many people may find the information provided in this link important because it provides simple tips and guidelines for working with elders. https://carleton.ca/indigenous/resources/guidelines-for-working-with-elders/.  As future social workers, it is not enough to just talk about the problem. We need to think of solutions and resources so we can provide help. Reconciliation is about listening and moving toward a society where all cultures are equal and treated right.

            Finally, I found this interesting video that was filmed in northern Saskatchewan. In this video indigenous elders speak about health, substance use and reconciliation. One man speaks about beginning to trust in his culture again. This reminds me of my cousin. She used to feel like she needed to reject indigenous identity until she had a daughter. Since the birth of her child she has decided she wants to know more about her culture and share it with her daughter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8JrcjzdbLk