Dead 4 Ed Special: Vic Thunderchild

[sabotabby]

I had promised to chronicle the death of every education worker in Ontario who died because of the deliberate political decision by our government to keep schools open during a pandemic.

Vic Thunderchild was in Saskatchewan, not Ontario, but I'd be remiss in not mentioning him. He died yesterday after a two week battle with covid, which he likely contracted at school.

Saskatchewan, like Ontario, is led by a far-right government that benefits from prolonging the pandemic as much as it can. Its Premier Scott Moe killed a woman while driving drunk. He has also been hostile to Indigenous sovereignty, pro-suicide for Indigenous youth, and in favour of ending all human life on earth by maximizing climate change.

I mention this because of the stark contrast between the lives of Vic Thunderchild and the scumbag directly responsible for his death. Vic was a beloved educator and a role model for Indigenous youth. He taught at the same school for 29 years, promoted Indigenous culture and teachings in the curriculum, and led the initiative to develop Cree language education in Saskatchewan schools. From everything I hear, he was a fantastic human being.

He died as a result of reckless disregard for the lives of workers, and particularly for the lives of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized workers.

His last tweet:

Thank you @PremierScottMoe for not thinking we’re essential workers, as I sit in the @PAHealthDept Vic hospital recovering from Covid-19. Get my fellow teachers vaccinated, before this happens to anyone else.

— vic65tc (@VicThunderchild) April 5, 2021

Don't forget, don't look away, and always remember that this was a choice.

Comments

[dewline]

And that's one story among many explaining how the province I was born in is being mismanaged today.

"Mismanaged" is too kind to the "Saskatchewan" Party, actually.

[sabotabby]

Set on fire is a better term, I think. As bad as Ontario is, I'm glad you made it out! I have friends in Regina and it's a garbage fire (they're the ones who told me about this).

[dewline]

I got out in 1985, thanks to my Dad's change of job that year. Ironic, since he wanted to retire in Saskatchewan and resisted the move, in vain.

[lynnenne]

SO ANGRY.

[sabotabby]

Beyond angry.

[radiantfracture]

no words

[sabotabby]

I'm fuming.

[kore]

Jesus.

[sabotabby]

Yeah.

[frenzy]

Haunting. May his last tweet mean something. :'(

[sabotabby]

Let's hope.

[lapinlunaire]

This is heartbreaking. I didn't know him or about him but he sounds like he was an awesome person, the kind this world needs more of, and it's devastating that political choices led to his death. It's sadly unsurprising, though, if that's a government hostile to Indigenous youth ever having anything nice :(

I feel extremely wary of politicians maybe using Covid as a way to cover up and excuse racist poliicies, as though sweeping under the rug the way this pandemic is more likely to disproportionately affect the vulnerable. Like over here, there was a minor controversy about some workplaces that primarily employ immigrants and POC becoming covid hot spots, except that the idea of tightening any controls is widely opposed by voters, and you've got to ask who that's REALLY screwing over. Last year, this far-right politician over here suggested that maybe Roma people should be relocated to camps. Fortunately, enough people thought this idea was very suspicious, but I'm sure that there's A LOT of racism that isn't this blatant.

[sabotabby]

Here, it's mainly BIPOC getting it, because those are the people working in the worst jobs and living in the most crowded living conditions. I'm sure they'd do something if it were upper class white people getting sick. One of the books I read on it suggested that it was fortunate that rich people got it first, through travel and diplomatic circles, since if it was just poor people they wouldn't have worked so hard to find a vaccine.

But now it's basically affecting people on class/race lines so no one gives a shit. I mean I do. But no one in provincial government.

[lapinlunaire]

Oh yeah. I suspect it's much the same here based on common sense (like Roma and some racialised immigrant communities often having precarious housing and a lack of basic stuff, and what you said about jobs and living conditions) but I can't confirm this based on actual numbers or anything because it's just the kind of thing people don't want to talk about. Middle and working class white people get it a lot too, but I can't help but cynically feel that a lot of this is related to their votes and them being considered an actually important part of the country compared to an immigrant working some shitty job out of everyone's sight. Don't get me wrong, white people who aren't fabulously wealthy are still vulnerable, but I think there's definitely a difference.

[sara]

Part of why I have been so. fucking. determined. to survive this is that we have SO FEW indigenous language speakers and every time one of us dies it's not just us that dies, it's what we carry. And carrying the language is not a small thing.

I raise my hands to him. What a mess.

[sabotabby]

Wait, what do you speak?? that's awesome.

Among the many incredible things about Vic is that while his death robbed the world of a Cree speaker, his life ensured that many more people speak Cree than would have otherwise.

[sara]

I speak chinuk.

Language teachers are a precious thing.

[sabotabby]

That rules. And absolutely!

[broken_record]

What a disgrace. :(

[sabotabby]

The government is now allowing teachers to get vaccinated. It only took a good man's death.

[broken_record]

That’s so awful. 😢 I’m sorry. At least some change happened I guess.