National Indigenous History Month

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It’s Not Canada’s Dark “history”

Canada is built on the oppression and exploitation of Métis, Inuit, and First Nations people. Canada's colonial past is not so far away as it seems—the last residential school closed in 1996. It's not Canada's dark history if it's still happening. The Canadian government is directly responsible for the intergenerational trauma they have inflicted on Indigenous People. To this day, institutional racism has created barriers that prevent Indigenous People from getting sufficient access to healthcare, education, and mental health services.

We are all responsible

Entire generations of children and Indigenous culture have been lost. The Canadian government is directly responsible for building institutions meant to erase Indigenous history. The Canadian government is directly responsible for the murder of millions of Indigenous People. We all reside on Indigenous land, and as immigrants and colonizers, we must acknowledge that we benefit from this. Everyone is responsible for stealing land from the "original" Canadians.

Indigenous Resilience

Despite the systemic struggles that they face, Indigenous People have shown great resilience in fighting for basic rights and autonomy. In 1967, an activist organization called Indian Rights for Indian Women (IRIW) was founded to advocate for equal rights under the Indian Act. In 1983, Ethel Blondin-Andrew became the first Indigenous woman to become a member of parliament. Later on, in 1985, The Indian Act was amended to allow Indigenous People to re-apply for Indian status. Especially in these communities, activism and representation matter.

Understand Land Acknowledgments

Land acknowledgments are one of the many ways that you can express gratitude for the land that you reside on. One of the most important steps in reconciliation is understanding our history in stealing Indigenous land. To learn more, visit websites like https://native-land.ca/ and https://www.canada.ca/en.html!

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Published June 27, 2021

Written by Elwin Fu ~ Edited by Amanda Chapa ~ Graphics created by Elwin Fu