“How do Indigenous Peoples feel about Canada Day?”

“How do Indigenous Peoples feel about Canada Day?”

I do get asked this question quite a lot, in the course of my work as well as in my daily life. I’m always glad people ask— and I always answer, “It depends.”

In case you’re already tuning me out, know that I’m not planning to rain on anyone’s red and white parade today. There is a lot to be proud of and grateful for. My main aim is to try and gently balance out your social media feed today with some perspective.

First of all—a reminder that Indigenous Peoples in this country are VERY diverse—we are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. And within each of these cultures and identities is a diversity of thought, history, and experiences. Many of us also have mixed and settler heritage. One thing I believe we all agree on is that our relationships with Canada, and the Crown, are complicated. And how Indigenous Peoples view Canada Day can differ greatly from nation to nation, community to community and person to person. 

There is no one-view-fits-all perspective.

And the other thing that I believe all of us who live in this vast and beautiful land we call Canada can agree on, is we deeply love this land we share. ❤️

So, here it is, based on what I’ve come to understand about how Indigenous Peoples feel about Canada Day (in no particular order):

1. Some Indigenous Peoples do detest, and even dread, this day. And to be perfectly real here, celebrating confederation inherently overlooks the difficult history of how Canada became a country, mainly at the expense of Indigenous Peoples. So there are many Indigenous Peoples who feel this loss keenly. And for them, when they see folks celebrating, it brings up a lot of hurt and anger, borne from trauma. Please understand and accept this.
2. Some Indigenous Peoples feel a bit neutral about it all. They just disengage from acknowledging this day because it doesn’t mean anything particularly special to them. Please understand and accept this.
3. Some Indigenous Peoples do celebrate this day because, like other people, they want to have a bit of fun, too. And many, if not most, have some settler heritage and they acknowledge and celebrate this side of themselves. Please understand and accept this.

I accept all of these views as valid and I respect them. There are more nuanced perspectives, of course. So much depends on where someone was raised, what they may or may not know about what their ancestors may have gone through, and what they have personally experienced.

This isn’t intended as a comprehensive run-down of all points of view. I simply wanted to offer there are different ways for people to acknowledge, or not acknowledge, Canada Day. 

Here’s my one request for all my friends, colleagues and other Linked In connections in Canada who celebrate today: 

Would you also take a moment to acknowledge that Canada became a nation at the expense of the rights of the First Peoples? It was formed on stolen land. I encourage everyone who is celebrating, to reflect at some point today. And, yes, I personally believe it’s okay to celebrate all the good things about Canada. But it’s also important to acknowledge that others still feel the terrible impacts of colonization and confederation—and we still have lots of work ahead to make this a country where all have the same opportunities to thrive.

As for me, I acknowledge the complicated and difficult past and that my feelings are related to the loss and trauma caused to Indigenous Peoples (and that still impacts us to this day). The optimist and activist in me also chooses to focus on building a better future. 

I believe in the dream of what Canada can be for the generations of today and the generations to come—that’s what I think about today.