A senior student, Asia Nahdee, from Walpole Island, shared the following poem with the Future Elders club at Wallaceburg District Secondary School on September 22, 2021.
Nahdee has won the OSSTF Writing Award for the Lambon-Kent District School Board two years in a row.
In addition, she had the opportunity to share a different poem last year with thousands of students and staff in a Google Meet for Orange Shirt Day 2020.
Nahdee is now in WDSS’ PSW program.
This year Nahdee wrote another poem, which draws attention to the 215 children that were found in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
The poem also explores topics such as healing, spirituality, culture, and reconciliation.
Read Nahdee’s poem, below:
Boozhoo kinaweya, shkinaangoons ndizhnikaaz mukwa ndodem, maanidokaaning ndoonjiba bkejwanong nda, miinwa bodewadomi mikmaqiyuk kwe ndow. This piece goes out to so many, to all my relatives across turtle island to my great kokum and all her sisters, to my ooshum and his brothers to our survivors and last but not least the to victims of the mass graves.
365 days later since our last orange shirt day so much has taken place
It’s been enough to open old wounds
That we’ve fought so hard to keep shut
It’s been enough to make blood boil
That we took so much time to cool
It’s been enough for our eyes to creates rivers of tears
That will take so very long to dry up
To the thousands of babies who laid in the unmarked mass graves
There’s not enough words nor time for me to write an apology that would make up for all that has been done to you and your families
There’s no excuse for these crimes
And there’s no plea more remorseful
That could ever prove that these schools were ever innocent
I for one need answers
How could one sleep at night knowing there was a pile of dead children beside them?
How could one live with themselves knowing there was parents longing for their children?
How could one eat and keep it down knowing so many of these children died because they were denied food and water?
How could you?
How dare you..
My heart plummeted to my stomach
My stomach jumped and got caught in my throat
My lungs found it hard to catch my breath in between muffled screams
tears streamed down my face fresh and warm
anxiety kept me up into the unholy hours of the night
Why? Because one of those bodies could have been mine
Oh my sisters
Oh my mothers
Oh my brothers
Dear babies,
I’m so sorry you never got the chance to say see you later to your families
I’m sorry you never got to feel the strong secure embrace of your fathers big muscular arms
I’m sorry you never got to feel the soft kisses from your mothers delicate lips one last time before your life was snatched right out from under you
I’m sorry you left this world cold, hungry, and scared
I’m sorry they never let you see the wonderful things life had to offer you
I’m so sorry that they did not love you
I’m sorry that they did not even care the slightest bit to mark your grave
I’m sorry they did not see the potential in your tiny little hands
that they did not see the light in your perfect almond eyes
I’m sorry they could not simply see the magnitude of your beauty that you possessed
I’m sorry that they didn’t think that your life mattered
Your life did matter
You deserved a better hand than what you were dealt
You deserved to speak your language
To wear your hair long
to love your brown skin like there was no other colour like it
You deserved to sing those songs you learned long before you were even born
That’s just it
You deserved to live
However, I want to tell you all that you did it
You brought the nation to their knees
You turned enemies into allies
You made people find a heart when they thought they were heartless
You made everyone feel what we have felt being oppressed
And I am so proud of you
You flooded the city streets with orange
You painted the sky orange for days
You called the drums and they sang
You called the dancers and they prayed
Please know and always understand
You made history
You unearthed the mountains of truth
With mass evidence
That would force many to run for the hills and well beyond..
You were so special and you always will be
Yesterday, tomorrow forever and always
Go home, and be free
Speak your language like English does not exist
Dance your way to the spirit world like they never took your moving vessel
Sing like they never had the chance to silence you
Wear your hair long for all the times they cut it
You are free
Little did they know that all the babies they buried to keep quiet
Would now have the loudest voices
And awaken the world