Canada's Something Or Other Birthday
Jun. 30th, 2017 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windemereI've given a lot of thought to how I want to spend this weekend. I am horrified once again by the treatment of our government to our First Nations communities, the latest incident only yesterday. They keep preaching 'let's have reconciliation!' but don't ever consult the FN communities on it. It's despicable.
In light of everything, I feel it unCanadian to celebrate a date that represents religious oppression, cultural persecution, murder, and other acts I would rather not type, of an entire people.
Canada is 15,000+ years old. It was a culture of amazing trade networks, religions, diverse cultures, and beautiful ceremonies long before the Vikings even arrived here. I wish this country could better understand that and our education system didn't seek to ignore it. Perhaps more white people and immigrants would understand why eating hot dogs, listening to pop music, and lighting off a bunch of fireworks for the '150th' is not appropriate. But here we are.
And here I'm going. Down to land near the largest First Nations reserve in Canada, to be as un-annoying and as respectful as possible. We're cooking over a camp fire, sleeping in tents, and all around going to be as quiet as possible. But we plan to raise a glass of traditional strawberry juice, commonly made at this time of year by many FN tribes, to salute those that this country still marginalises and abhors.
Today, and tomorrow, I am not proud to be Canadian. And I'm certainly not proud to be a white person from England and France. But I can't change the colour of my skin, nor the country I was born in. What I can do is try to make this country a place for EVERYONE, including those that were here long before I was.
In light of everything, I feel it unCanadian to celebrate a date that represents religious oppression, cultural persecution, murder, and other acts I would rather not type, of an entire people.
Canada is 15,000+ years old. It was a culture of amazing trade networks, religions, diverse cultures, and beautiful ceremonies long before the Vikings even arrived here. I wish this country could better understand that and our education system didn't seek to ignore it. Perhaps more white people and immigrants would understand why eating hot dogs, listening to pop music, and lighting off a bunch of fireworks for the '150th' is not appropriate. But here we are.
And here I'm going. Down to land near the largest First Nations reserve in Canada, to be as un-annoying and as respectful as possible. We're cooking over a camp fire, sleeping in tents, and all around going to be as quiet as possible. But we plan to raise a glass of traditional strawberry juice, commonly made at this time of year by many FN tribes, to salute those that this country still marginalises and abhors.
Today, and tomorrow, I am not proud to be Canadian. And I'm certainly not proud to be a white person from England and France. But I can't change the colour of my skin, nor the country I was born in. What I can do is try to make this country a place for EVERYONE, including those that were here long before I was.
