White Mask

Why are so many Natives, First Nations, Indians, Metis, Inuits, Aboriginals, Indigenous People, and Amerindians ashamed of whom they are? Where does this shame come from? Why does it exist today? These questions are the underlying fabric of the memoir but are only alluded to in the first half of the story. About half way through, a flash back to the very first memory initiates the story behind the story, wherein shame is discussed and explored in narratives, interactions, quotations and teachings from childhood to middle age. The author’s re-celebration of his First Nation heritage evolves until he feels the same joy as at age 10 when he first learned of his ancestry. Up to five generations of First Nations have been traumatized by residential school and societal racism, but the grasp of shame is becoming weaker.