Grade 10, Pride Learning Academy
It felt like I was trapped in a never-ending cycle, suffocating under the weight of colonial systems that had oppressed my people for centuries. The sound of my ancestors’ struggles still echoed in my head. I stood tall, staring at the broken pieces of a system that had held me back for so long. As a Black person, I had always dreamed of reclaiming my heritage and culture stolen by colonial powers. But every step I took was met with resistance, every door I tried to open was slammed shut. The legacy of colonialism had other plans for me.
I thought of my grandmother’s stories about our ancestors’ struggles and resilience. My parents had sacrificed a lot to support my passion for learning, enrolling me in a school that valued indigenous history, but the system was designed to keep me down, to erase my identity and silence my voice. It felt like I was fighting a losing battle, like I was screaming into a void. The words of my ancestors echoed in my mind: “We will not be silenced, we will not be erased.” But the chains of colonialism seemed too strong, too deeply ingrained.
As I navigated the complexities of my identity, I realised that my spirituality was the key to unlocking my true freedom. Without reconnecting with my indigenous beliefs and practices, I was still colonised, still bound by the dark chains of oppression.
How could I claim to be free when I still practise the beliefs brought by the oppressors, the Christianity forced upon my ancestors, the western values that erased our heritage, and the colonial systems that made our people forget the magical ways of our people.
As I began to explore my indigenous spirituality, I felt a sense of yearning, of connection to my ancestors, and of longing to become a proud and mighty warrior and shake off he hands of colonialism from my being. With each step, I felt myself becoming more whole, more free.
I stared at the broken pieces of my dreams, and six months in, I realised that there were others like me, fighting the same battles, struggling to break free from the clutches of colonialism. Together, we could shatter the chains that bound us. We could reclaim our heritage and forge a new path.
But for now, I remained trapped, a prisoner of a system that seemed determined to hold me back. The sound of my ancestors’ struggles still echoed in my mind, a reminder of the long and difficult journey ahead.