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This will be a reflective day, rather than a celebratory one for me.
I'll be thinking about the harm and trauma caused by Canada’s residential school system and of the lost children who never returned to their families and their communities.
I’ll be thinking about the inter-generational trauma suffered by those who did return and of the struggles they and their descendants still grapple with today; substance use, disconnection from their Indigenous culture, discrimination and stigma, as well as ongoing policies that continue to perpetuate the inequities that we’ve seen for many years and that we continue to see today.
I'll ask myself why Indigenous people are over-represented in the federal correctional system? In 2020-21, incarceration of Indigenous people in Canada was 9 times higher than non-Indigenous people. [1]
I'll will ask myself why there have been 6 times more missing and murdered Indigenous women and children than non-Indigenous females. [2]
And I'll also ask myself why there are more Indigenous children and youth, who represent just 8% of children in Canda, but make up almost 54% of those in care? [3]
Sadly, these questions tell me that we, as individuals and as a community, still have a lot of work to do on the journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.
So, I leave you with this thought. Please remember that this day is not just a time for remembrance but also an opportunity for action.
You may be asking yourself what you can possibly do that will effect change. It can be as simple as wearing orange, supporting Indigenous businesses, talking to your kids or parents about the subject, or reading a book by an Indigenous author. My personal recommendation is a book I read recently called “5 Little Indians” by Canadian Cree writer Michelle Good. You can purchase it here.
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