So, today is a day for celebration for a lot of people - a national holiday. As much as I love seeing communities come together in celebration and gratitude for all that we have, I know that today carries weight in a different context as well. Canada was founded on agreements between Indigenous and Settler Nations. Agreements where Indigenous peoples agreed to share the land. The promises we made, as Settlers, haven’t been honoured — continuously. Even today we can still trace the impacts in our every day lives: missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, residential schools, the foster care crises, and so many other ongoing impacts.
I think that it is important on days like today, and everyday, to reflect on the fact that we live in a place of deep inequity.
We should work hard everyday to right relations - then we will truly have something to celebrate.
In the words of my friend and mentor @jboldlygo “decolonize now and celebrate later”
#sarjesa #decolonize
