Honouring National Indigenous History Month

Today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day, and June serves as a reminder to celebrate, but also to learn, reflect and recognize the unique histories, sacrifices, challenges, cultures, contributions, and strengths of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. June is also Pride Month, and honours both queer and Indigenous communities. We must keep in mind that for many folks, being queer and Indigenous is part of their many unique, intersecting identities.

These months are powerful reminders that Canadian history is as diverse as the different communities that make up this country. They are also hard reminders that many of these histories have been untold (or unheard). While we should reflect and learn more and not only in this allotted time, these months offer opportunities for us to build empathy for others by learning about their lives and struggles. It is critical to recognize the learnings and celebrations highlighted in a single month should happen year round.

I am grateful to have the guidance, support and teachings of Noreen Demeria, a dear friend and colleague, whose wisdom and empathy continues to encourage my understanding and growth in this space.

Honouring & Celebrating

Similar to my post on Honouring Asian Heritage Month, these are some ways to celebrate and honour National Indigenous Peoples Day and National Indigenous History Month.

Honour and respectfully celebrate … this month we celebrate the diversity of Indigenous cultures and communities across Canada. Indigenous Peoples in Canada have unique cultures, traditions, and histories with communities from East to West and North to South. The Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada is a resource shared with me that I will now share with you to further learn about and understand the diversity of Indigenous people across Canada.
Appreciate … Indigenous achievements and contributions.
Amplify… diverse Indigenous voices, stories and resources (consider following/scrolling through the content of these Indigenous activists and artists)
Reflect on and interrupt … your own assumptions or biases of Indigenous peoples.
Examine… the way in which Indigenous communities and peoples are viewed within Canadian history and current discourse.
Challenge… stereotypes and consider how they are rooted in the history of colonialism. In Tami Pierce’s article, Racism, Tami shares personal stories that paint the reality of experiences of racism for Indigenous folks.
Learn… more about the journey towards Reconciliation

We are Treaty People

In collaboration with a dear friend and colleague of mine, Noreen Demeria, we crafted a solidarity statement for Treaty people. When we began our first draft of this statement, I was writing with the theme of “settlers” and “Indigenous people”. Noreen impressed on me the importance of seeing all people living in Canada as treaty people, each with own set of rights and responsibilities, in effort to build stronger relationships and greater understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. These responsibilities include the learning and understanding of the social, economic and political devastation of Indigenous communities as a result of betrayal and perversion of treaty obligations.

Below are some commitments:

Respecting and affirming the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land.
Continuous learning about the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty Canada has made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples through the treaty making process.
Continuous learning about the historical and present day oppression of lands, cultures and the original peoples in what we now know as Canada.
Our role and responsibility towards Truth and Reconciliation, as well as dismantling oppressive systems that continue to oppress diverse communities.

Truth & Reconciliation

Definition of Reconciliation

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission: “. . . Reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behavior.”
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc: “Critical, Complex, Multifaceted Continuous, A Process…”

My Learning Journey

“The intention of the Treaty agreements [was] to ensure that [Indigenous peoples] would retain [their] Indigenous values, knowledge, governance, kinship systems, and ways of life on the land for generations to come.” – Indigenous scholar, Dr. Kathy Absolon in As We Have Always Done. Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance.

Despite what the Treaties were meant to represent, Indigenous peoples were betrayed and forced through assimilation, oppression, colonization and genocide.

I have learned that understanding the significance of treaties and committing to learning more about the ones that exist in our communities (e.g., those that we live, work and learn on) is an important step on the journey of reconciliation. The treaties represent(ed) relationships and commitments the Crown made to Indigenous peoples, and learning more about it’s dark history in Canada can help us better understand and build relationships between us (as settlers/visitors, even if newly immigrated) and Indigenous peoples.

So let us begin with learning and understanding. How can we be sensitive or proactive to the struggles and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples if we do not know the history of the land we reside on? The land on which these struggles were birthed? I encourage you to look into your own area. This is what I have learned about Scarborough and Toronto, the land that I have always lived, worked and learned on (I will continue to add as I learn):

This land is home of Indigenous people and Nations long before colonial documentation of time and is specifically the land of the Huron-Wendat, Anishnabek, Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Haudenosaunee
The territory of what is known today as Toronto is under the One Dish, One Spoon Wampum belt, a peace treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinaabek. It is a mutual agreement between nations for sharing land and resources.
The territories that encompass Toronto are under a number of Treaties including Treaty 13, with the Williams Treaties for Scarborough specifically.

Resources

This is a linked list of resources that have been shared with me or have helped me on my journey (I will continue to add as I learn more):