T’aint my fault, youse guys were here first

The scene was akin to a Keystone Cops episode. Two cars collided at a busy intersection and as the drivers were awaiting the police, a third car added to the chaos by careening into the wreckage. The driver of this auto stepped out, shouting “T’aint my fault, youse guys were here first”!

Out of this somewhat comical event, we can ask a challenging question. Does the late-arriver have any responsibility for the actions of the those who preceded him? In much the same fashion do successive generations have a responsibility for actions by their by forebearers?

Post-colonial cultures across the world are increasingly aware of the levels of responsibility, if any, from generation to generation. Canada is now immersed in the issues resulting from decades of questionable colonial practices.

Many of the actions, some of which were accidental and some deliberate, resulted in the destruction of robust societies. Blame is not the issue. What happened may be a collective fault in retrospect but not for today’s generation. Memories are the issue. Before, residential schools, forced migration, starvation and disease could not be imagined. After, we now know that we are capable of such behavior.

The physical evidence is unequivocal and so are the memories. Like it or not the colonial period is now part of our psyche and we shall always be worse off for many of the transgressions.

In the case of the cars colliding, all the  participants were involved. The late arrival carries no blame for the first accident and  his observation “T’aint my fault, youse guys were here first” is perceptive. The memories remain, however, and life after the collision is different from before.