I would like to begin by acknowledging the land on which we gather, and which the Region of Peel operates, is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. Specifically, the land on which I reside on was part of the lands included in Treaty 19.
There has been lots of circulation around Cancelling Canada Day to stand in solidarity with our Indigenous community. It doesn’t mean we want to cancel all the contributions Canada has made. As the daughter of immigrants, I understand wanting to celebrate a country that has granted opportunities and safety that their home country may not have been able to give many. But with all the news and recent discoveries of what happened to children in residential schools, I believe it’s much more important to be able to show that we are there alongside them, and want to support them in any way we can.
We’ve all learnt about Residental school treatment in history class and have always known about the history of injustive treatment towards our Indigeous community. But now having this evidence come to light, is just further proof of our oppresive system. We need to amlify Indigenous voices, listen to their stories and feel the discomfort. We should learn about their culture, who’s land you currently reside on, donate, support Indigeous creators, and have uncomfortable conversations. Those are only the few ways you can help.