The story of Nakuset (CBC video)
CBC has a short video about how Nakuset reclaimed her indigenous identity after her forcible adoption from a Manitoba reserve to a Jewish family in Montreal. An emotional piece.
(And yet, and I say this cautiously, is it not possible that being brought up in that culture equipped her uniquely for the role she has today as organizer and spokeswoman for indigenous women?)
Meezly 12:28 on 2021-03-10 Permalink
That was a powerful piece. Is someone cutting onions in the house?
But Nakuset makes it extremely clear that her upbringing with her adopted family had nothing to do with where she is today. Her adopted parents had always made her feel inferior and less than as she was growing up.
Her Bubby was the only one who gave Nakuset unconditional love and saw her true potential, and because of Bubby, she was able to leave her toxic and racist family. It was only when she found her biological family was she able to find herself and only then was she able to get her life together and become who she is today.
The fact that she was a survivor of the Sixties Scoop gives her a unique background but I feel that Nakuset could have been raised in a loving home with her biological family and still could have found her own path towards helping her community. Nakuset is obviously a bright star and saying that her upbringing in a white family contributed to her success would not be fair to her own struggles and accomplishments.
Kate 13:55 on 2021-03-10 Permalink
You are right, Meezly. I will cancel what I ventured to suggest above.
Raymond Lutz 16:57 on 2021-03-10 Permalink
Ouf, I had to search for that one… “Bubby is Yiddish for Grandmother” is this correct? (it seems, from the photographs).
Meezly 19:24 on 2021-03-10 Permalink
That’s right, RL. Though I think the actual spelling tends to be Bubbe or Bubbie. Bubba is another variation. No matter how it’s spelled, thank god for Bubbes in general!
EmilyG 23:05 on 2021-03-11 Permalink
Very moving documentary. Thank you for sharing it.