Reading about Peter Cutmore’s story from the Waterloo Creek massacre has left me deeply reflective today. The brutal truth of what happened on January 26, 1838, when a young boy watched his people being slaughtered, stands in stark contrast to the barbecues and celebrations happening across the country.

The survival story of Peter Cutmore, preserved through generations of oral history, tells us of a child who survived by hiding in a log where his mother placed him. It’s a testament to both the horror of colonial violence and the incredible resilience of First Nations people. His descendants are still here, still telling his story, still waiting for justice after 187 years.