Aaniin, Boozhoo.

Opichi Ndishniikaz, Waabzheshii ndoodem, Nbising Nodongiba. My name is Opichi Commanda, and I am an Anishinaabe woman, proud member of the Marten clan. My people come from Nipissing First Nation. My grandmother and her siblings are victims of the sixties scoop. When Beatrice died in 1971 at the age of only 49, she was buried in the Nipissing FN cemetery. Due to a flood claiming her wooden cross marker, my family had great difficulty determining where she was buried. Within the last few years, she was found, and her location was marked with a small bouquet of flowers on the ground. It is our wish to give Beatrice a proper memorial plaque, which is something we have been working towards for a some time. Covid has brought forth a lot of difficulty in doing so. Truth and reconciliation has become a large topic of discussion in Canada since 2015. Sixties scoop victims are often left out of discussions, so it is my goal that Beatrice Commanda knows that despite never having met her future generations, we are all still missing and mourning her. The headstone we wish to create for Beatrice is expensive due to rising costs and inflation. If you have 1-2 dollars to give, it would mean the world to my family.