OCCUPY VANCOUVER DAY: 6
Today I spent all of my time at Occupy with my new friend Ricky, who is featured in this picture. Ricky was handing out leaflets with a picture of a girl named Victoria who was killed in a residential (boarding/assimilation) school in 1959, that told the story of her death and the horrors of residential school. Ricky is also first nations and attended a residential school. His brother was killed in his school with 9 shots of a cattle prod to his head. He told me about kids getting their braids cut off and the abuse that went on. He also told me about the disrespect he received when talking to Langara college when telling his life story. I sat and listened to Ricky’s story forever, he at one point started breaking down from the emotions and told me how it was amazing that I stayed to listen to him, I had no idea what to say to him and overwhelmed with emotion I broke into tears as well. He had hitch hiked from Manitoba to British Columbia to stand with the Coast Salish women in their fight for the inquiry into the Pickton trial. We talked for about an hour and he introduced me to his friends he had met since being at Occupy. We hugged goodbye and he was so ecstatic that I asked to hug him, he said “All I want is love and it is so rare anyone will listen to the trials of native people”, I told him that I will always remember his story and asked if I could get a picture with him, he was very excited. I want to get a copy of it printed to give to him this weekend, I think he would like it. When we said goodbye he told me if I didn’t see him again it would be because he was in the hospital, the then informed me he was dying of H.I.V. If I don’t see him this weekend at Occupy I will phone the hospitals in search of him, I owe it to him to make sure he gets home ok. I have never been so grateful to hear someones story, he is the strongest human being I have yet to encounter. The word oppression will never affect the privileged the way it had affected him. Sorry this is not an update on Occupy Vancouver the way it “should be” but I spent all my time with my new found friend and comrade, and it was worth every second, and every tear. He told me tonight he would talk about me, which was funny because all I wanted to tell people was about him and his struggle.
To all those truly oppressed, to the awakening of consciousness, to listening instead of speaking, to all of those who suffer what I will never understand.
To life and living for each other, and love for those you’ve never truly known and will never truly know.
(via thefuror1)
