TRUE ALLYSHIP

Awesome work, Kelly Boutsalis and ELLE Canada, on “Voices of Change” [ELLE Society, April 2018]. I was a bit nervous to dive into this piece as I was concerned that it might read as condescending toward indigenous people and that this would change my high opinion of a magazine I’ve subscribed to for almost two decades. However, the article successfully amplified the voices of the three indigenous women featured, and Boutsalis clearly felt encouraged to speak her truth as well. As a white woman of settler descent who works to bridge relationships between First Nations in B.C. and organizations, I am hyper-aware of the differences between acting as an activist, an advocate or an ally. Finding balance and learning when it is appropriate to wear each of these hats is part of what I consider my personal journey toward reconciliation. Often, I observe or feel an underlying tone of “speaking on behalf of” indigenous peoples and communities in speech as well as literature, however well intended. I did not observe that or feel that with this article, and I applaud ELLE Canada for using your platform to encourage the process of reflection and thought-provoking change. True allyship, in my opinion. Hailey Berry, email