Saturday, February 17, 2018

1.Learn the land acknowledgement in your region.

This one I already knew. I live on Treaty 6 land. In reading the treaty itself there are many areas where the government has not kept its promises. We teach our children that laws allow us to enter into agreements with others and if one party breaks the agreement then the judicial system can be asked to help. Why then do we not honour the treaties?

Yes, we honour parts of them. For example the $5 annual payment, with no increase to reflect inflation. But with the decision to create residential schools many families and their ways of life were destroyed, even though the treaty promised "to maintain schools for instruction in such reserves hereby made as to Her Government of the Dominion of Canada may seem advisable, whenever the Indians of the reserve shall desire it." Currently many reserves have substandard housing and some do not even have potable water. As a country we need to do better.

Here is a text of Treaty 6 taken from the Canadian Government Website.

Treaty Texts - Treaty No. 6

Copy of Treaty No. 6 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Plain and Wood Cree Indians and other Tribes of Indians at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River with Adhesions

ROGER DUHAMEL, F.R.S.C.
QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY
OTTAWA, 1964

Cat. No.: R33-0664

IAND Publication No. QS-0574-000-EE-A-1

Treaty No. 6

ARTICLES OF A TREATY made and concluded near Carlton on the 23rd day of August and on the 28th day of said month, respectively, and near Fort Pitt on the 9th day of September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, between Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, by Her Commissioners, the Honourable Alexander Morris, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Manitoba and the North-west Territories, and the Honourable James McKay, and the Honourable William Joseph Christie, of the one part, and the Plain and Wood Cree and the other Tribes of Indians, inhabitants of the country within the limits hereinafter defined and described by their Chiefs, chosen and named as hereinafter mentioned, of the other part.

Whereas the Indians inhabiting the said country have, pursuant to an appointment made by the said Commissioners, been convened at meetings at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River, to deliberate upon certain matters of interest to Her Most Gracious Majesty, of the one part, and the said Indians of the other.

And whereas the said Indians have been notified and informed by Her Majesty's said Commissioners that it is the desire of Her Majesty to open up for settlement, immigration and such other purposes as to Her Majesty may seem meet, a tract of country bounded and described as hereinafter mentioned, and to obtain the consent thereto of Her Indian subjects inhabiting the said tract, and to make a treaty and arrange with them, so that there may be peace and good will between them and Her Majesty, and that they may know and be assured of what allowance they are to count upon and receive from Her Majesty's bounty and benevolence.

And whereas the Indians of the said tract, duly convened in council, as aforesaid, and being requested by Her Majesty's said Commissioners to name certain Chiefs and Headmen, who should be authorized on their behalf to conduct such negotiations and sign any treaty to be founded thereon, and to become responsible to Her Majesty for their faithful performance by their respective Bands of such obligations as shall be assumed by them, the said Indians have thereupon named for that purpose, that is to say, representing the Indians who make the treaty at Carlton, the several Chiefs and Councillors who have subscribed hereto, and representing the Indians who make the treaty at Fort Pitt, the several Chiefs and Councillors who have subscribed hereto.

And thereupon, in open council, the different Bands having presented their Chiefs to the said Commissioners as the Chiefs and Headmen, for the purposes aforesaid, of the respective Bands of Indians inhabiting the said district hereinafter described.

And whereas, the said Commissioners then and there received and acknowledged the persons so presented as Chiefs and Headmen, for the purposes aforesaid, of the respective Bands of Indians inhabiting the said district hereinafter described.

And whereas, the said Commissioners have proceeded to negotiate a treaty with the said Indians, and the same has been finally agreed upon and concluded, as follows, that is to say:

The Plain and Wood Cree Tribes of Indians, and all other the Indians inhabiting the district hereinafter described and defined, do hereby cede, release, surrender and yield up to the Government of the Dominion of Canada, for Her Majesty the Queen and Her successors forever, all their rights, titles and privileges, whatsoever, to the lands included within the following limits, that is to say:

Commencing at the mouth of the river emptying into the north-west angle of Cumberland Lake; thence westerly up the said river to its source; thence on a straight line in a westerly direction to the head of Green Lake; thence northerly to the elbow in the Beaver River; thence down the said river northerly to a point twenty miles from the said elbow; thence in a westerly direction, keeping on a line generally parallel with the said Beaver River (above the elbow), and about twenty miles distant therefrom, to the source of the said river; thence northerly to the north-easterly point of the south shore of Red Deer Lake, continuing westerly along the said shore to the western limit thereof; and thence due west to the Athabasca River; thence up the said river, against the stream, to the Jaspar House, in the Rocky Mountains; thence on a course south-easterly, following the easterly range of the mountains, to the source of the main branch of the Red Deer River; thence down the said river, with the stream, to the junction therewith of the outlet of the river, being the outlet of the Buffalo Lake; thence due east twenty miles; thence on a straight line south-eastwardly to the mouth of the said Red Deer River on the south branch of the Saskatchewan River; thence eastwardly and northwardly, following on the boundaries of the tracts conceded by the several treaties numbered four and five to the place of beginning.

And also, all their rights, titles and privileges whatsoever to all other lands wherever situated in the North-west Territories, or in any other Province or portion of Her Majesty's Dominions, situated and being within the Dominion of Canada.

The tract comprised within the lines above described embracing an area of 121,000 square miles, be the same more or less.

To have and to hold the same to Her Majesty the Queen and Her successors forever.

And Her Majesty the Queen hereby agrees and undertakes to lay aside reserves for farming lands, due respect being had to lands at present cultivated by the said Indians, and other reserves for the benefit of the said Indians, to be administered and dealt with for them by Her Majesty's Government of the Dominion of Canada; provided, all such reserves shall not exceed in all one square mile for each family of five, or in that proportion for larger or smaller families, in manner following, that is to say: that the Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs shall depute and send a suitable person to determine and set apart the reserves for each band, after consulting with the Indians thereof as to the locality which may be found to be most suitable for them.

Provided, however, that Her Majesty reserves the right to deal with any settlers within the bounds of any lands reserved for any Band as She shall deem fit, and also that the aforesaid reserves of land, or any interest therein, may be sold or otherwise disposed of by Her Majesty's Government for the use and benefit of the said Indians entitled thereto, with their consent first had and obtained; and with a view to show the satisfaction of Her Majesty with the behaviour and good conduct of Her Indians, She hereby, through Her Commissioners, makes them a present of twelve dollars for each man, woman and child belonging to the Bands here represented, in extinguishment of all claims heretofore preferred.

And further, Her Majesty agrees to maintain schools for instruction in such reserves hereby made as to Her Government of the Dominion of Canada may seem advisable, whenever the Indians of the reserve shall desire it.

Her Majesty further agrees with Her said Indians that within the boundary of Indian reserves, until otherwise determined by Her Government of the Dominion of Canada, no intoxicating liquor shall be allowed to be introduced or sold, and all laws now in force, or hereafter to be enacted, to preserve Her Indian subjects inhabiting the reserves or living elsewhere within Her North-west Territories from the evil influence of the use of intoxicating liquors, shall be strictly enforced.

Her Majesty further agrees with Her said Indians that they, the said Indians, shall have right to pursue their avocations of hunting and fishing throughout the tract surrendered as hereinbefore described, subject to such regulations as may from time to time be made by Her Government of Her Dominion of Canada, and saving and excepting such tracts as may from time to time be required or taken up for settlement, mining, lumbering or other purposes by Her said Government of the Dominion of Canada, or by any of the subjects thereof duly authorized therefor by the said Government.

It is further agreed between Her Majesty and Her said Indians, that such sections of the reserves above indicated as may at any time be required for public works or buildings, of what nature soever, may be appropriated for that purpose by Her Majesty's Government of the Dominion of Canada, due compensation being made for the value of any improvements thereon.

And further, that Her Majesty's Commissioners shall, as soon as possible after the execution of this treaty, cause to be taken an accurate census of all the Indians inhabiting the tract above described, distributing them in families, and shall, in every year ensuing the date hereof, at some period in each year, to be duly notified to the Indians, and at a place or places to be appointed for that purpose within the territory ceded, pay to each Indian person the sum of $5 per head yearly.

It is further agreed between Her Majesty and the said Indians, that the sum of $1,500.00 per annum shall be yearly and every year expended by Her Majesty in the purchase of ammunition, and twine for nets, for the use of the said Indians, in manner following, that is to say: In the reasonable discretion, as regards the distribution thereof among the Indians inhabiting the several reserves, or otherwise, included herein, of Her Majesty's Indian Agent having the supervision of this treaty.

It is further agreed between Her Majesty and the said Indians, that the following articles shall be supplied to any Band of the said Indians who are now cultivating the soil, or who shall hereafter commence to cultivate the land, that is to say: Four hoes for every family actually cultivating; also, two spades per family as aforesaid: one plough for every three families, as aforesaid; one harrow for every three families, as aforesaid; two scythes and one whetstone, and two hay forks and two reaping hooks, for every family as aforesaid, and also two axes; and also one cross-cut saw, one hand-saw, one pit-saw, the necessary files, one grindstone and one auger for each Band; and also for each Chief for the use of his Band, one chest of ordinary carpenter's tools; also, for each Band, enough of wheat, barley, potatoes and oats to plant the land actually broken up for cultivation by such Band; also for each Band four oxen, one bull and six cows; also, one boar and two sows, and one hand-mill when any Band shall raise sufficient grain therefor. All the aforesaid articles to be given once and for all for the encouragement of the practice of agriculture among the Indians.

It is further agreed between Her Majesty and the said Indians, that each Chief, duly recognized as such, shall receive an annual salary of twenty-five dollars per annum; and each subordinate officer, not exceeding four for each Band, shall receive fifteen dollars per annum; and each such Chief and subordinate officer, as aforesaid, shall also receive once every three years, a suitable suit of clothing, and each Chief shall receive, in recognition of the closing of the treaty, a suitable flag and medal, and also as soon as convenient, one horse, harness and waggon.

That in the event hereafter of the Indians comprised within this treaty being overtaken by any pestilence, or by a general famine, the Queen, on being satisfied and certified thereof by Her Indian Agent or Agents, will grant to the Indians assistance of such character and to such extent as Her Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs shall deem necessary and sufficient to relieve the Indians from the calamity that shall have befallen them.

That during the next three years, after two or more of the reserves hereby agreed to be set apart to the Indians shall have been agreed upon and surveyed, there shall be granted to the Indians included under the Chiefs adhering to the treaty at Carlton, each spring, the sum of one thousand dollars, to be expended for them by Her Majesty's Indian Agents, in the purchase of provisions for the use of such of the Band as are actually settled on the reserves and are engaged in cultivating the soil, to assist them in such cultivation.

That a medicine chest shall be kept at the house of each Indian Agent for the use and benefit of the Indians at the direction of such agent.

That with regard to the Indians included under the Chiefs adhering to the treaty at Fort Pitt, and to those under Chiefs within the treaty limits who may hereafter give their adhesion thereto (exclusively, however, of the Indians of the Carlton region), there shall, during three years, after two or more reserves shall have been agreed upon and surveyed be distributed each spring among the Bands cultivating the soil on such reserves, by Her Majesty's Chief Indian Agent for this treaty, in his discretion, a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars, in the purchase of provisions for the use of such members of the Band as are actually settled on the reserves and engaged in the cultivation of the soil, to assist and encourage them in such cultivation.

That in lieu of waggons, if they desire it and declare their option to that effect, there shall be given to each of the Chiefs adhering hereto at Fort Pitt or elsewhere hereafter (exclusively of those in the Carlton district), in recognition of this treaty, as soon as the same can be conveniently transported, two carts with iron bushings and tires.

And the undersigned Chiefs on their own behalf and on behalf of all other Indians inhabiting the tract within ceded, do hereby solemnly promise and engage to strictly observe this treaty, and also to conduct and behave themselves as good and loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen.

They promise and engage that they will in all respects obey and abide by the law, and they will maintain peace and good order between each other, and also between themselves and other tribes of Indians, and between themselves and others of Her Majesty's subjects, whether Indians or whites, now inhabiting or hereafter to inhabit any part of the said ceded tracts, and that they will not molest the person or property of any inhabitant of such ceded tracts, or the property of Her Majesty the Queen, or interfere with or trouble any person passing or travelling through the said tracts, or any part thereof, and that they will aid and assist the officers of Her Majesty in bringing to justice and punishment any Indian offending against the stipulations of this treaty, or infringing the laws in force in the country so ceded.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Her Majesty's said Commissioners and the said Indian Chiefs have hereunto subscribed and set their hands at or near Fort Carlton, on the days and year aforesaid, and near Fort Pitt on the day above aforesaid.

150 Acts of Reconciliation

Somedays reconciliation sounds like an impossible job. How do you move on from over 150 years of colonialism, racism, and ignorance? The definition of reconciliation is "the action of restoring to friendship or harmony." I want to make steps forward and hopefully role model the change I want to see. To this end I've started this blog and hope to complete as many acts of reconciliation as possible from the following list, which is taken from ActiveHistory.ca's 150 Acts of Reconciliation.

Learn the land acknowledgement in your region.
Find your local reconciliation organization.
If there isn’t one, consider joining together with others to start one.
Attend a cultural event, such as a pow wow (yes, all folks are invited to these!).
Purchase an item from an Indigenous artist. For instance, if you are interested in owning a dreamcatcher or a pair of moccasins, find an Indigenous artist who can craft these items for you and provide you with information about these special creations.
Download an Indigenous podcast, like Ryan McMahon’s Red Man Laughing or Molly Swain and Chelsea Vowel’s Métis in Space.
Read an autobiography written by an Indigenous person. A couple of ideas include Augie Merasty’s The Education of Augie Merasty, Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s Fatty Legs: A True Story, and Mini Adola Freeman’s Life Among the Qallunaat.
Find out if there was a residential school where you live.
Memorize its name and visit its former site.
Watch CBC’s Eighth Fire.
Choose one plant or flower in your area and learn how Indigenous people use(d) it.
Visit your local museum, particularly its section on Indigenous people. If it does not have one, ask the staff why not.
Learn a greeting in a local Indigenous language.
Register for the University of Alberta’s online MOOC, called “Indigenous Canada,” for free.
Initiate a conversation with a friend about an Indigenous issue in the news.
Support Black Lives Matter.
Eat at an Indigenous restaurant, café, or food truck.
Read about the Cornwallis Statue in Halifax.
Seriously consider your own position as a settler Canadian. Do you uphold practices that contribute to the marginalization of Indigenous peoples?
Learn why headdresses are not appropriate to wear at music festivals (or outside of Indigenous ceremony).
Find a book that delves into Indigenous local histories.
Donate to the Emerging Indigenous Voices award.
Although Gord Downie significantly contributed to the conversation about residential schools, consider why some Indigenous people might not support his project.
Visit a local Indigenous writer- or artist-in-residence.
When discussing LGBTQ issues, always include two-spirited peoples (LGBTQ2S*).
Invite your local reconciliation organization to hold a KAIROS Blanket Exercise at your place of employment.
Buy some books for your children that explain the histories and legacies of residential school (see CBC’s list of suggestions).
Ask yourself if stereotypes about Indigenous people align with your beliefs (for more on stereotypes, refer to Chelsea Vowel’s Indigenous Writes [2016]).
Educate yourself around the issue of carding and consider why this is an important issue for urban Indigenous populations.
Learn your family history. Know where your ancestors came from and when they arrived in Canada.
In addition, understand how your family story is part of a larger system that sought to dispossess Indigenous people from their ancestral lands.
Listen more. Talk less.
Ask your child’s school to give a daily land acknowledgement. If the Canadian national anthem is sung at their school, ask that the acknowledgement come before the anthem.
Acknowledge that as a nation, Canadians choose which histories are celebrated and which ones are erased.
Learn the difference between Indigenous, Aboriginal, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit.
Support local Indigenous authors by purchasing their books.
Research why Joseph Boyden is not Indigenous.
Watch an educational documentary, such as We Were Children or The Pass System.
Gently counter racist or stereotypical comments with fact-based information whether you are at a party, the office, or the gym.
Write your local councilor, MLA, or MP about the flying of Indigenous flags at local, provincial/territorial, or federal buildings.
Understand and acknowledge that Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, was an architect of genocide. Say that aloud with us. “John A. Macdonald was an architect of genocide.”
Write a letter to your local RCMP Officer in Charge or local Police Chief to inquire about how the police force is actively engaged in fostering connections with local Indigenous communities. If they are not doing so, ask that they start.
Show your support on social media. ‘Like’ pages and ‘share’ posts that support Indigenous endeavours.
Listen to Indigenous music. If you do not know any, listen to CBC’s Reclaimed. Or start with an album by Tanya Tagaq or Leonard Sumner.
Find the Indigenous section at your local library.
Read the TRC. Seriously. Start with the Calls to Action, then the Executive Summary. You can even listen to it online at #ReadtheTRC. Better yet, invite your friends or colleagues to read it with you.
Go and see Indigenous scholars and intellectuals speak.
Hire Indigenous people for positions at your workplace.
If you live in an area where there is a Treaty relationship, read the treaty document.
Write to your municipal, provincial, and federal representatives and ask them how they are implementing the Calls to Action.
Follow up with your representatives about the Calls to Action.
Read Marilyn Poitras’ reasons for resigning her Commissioner’s position with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Inquiry.
Find an organization locally that has upcoming programming where you can learn more. In many areas, this is the Native Friendship Centre.
Learn about how the child welfare system is failing Indigenous families. Write a letter to your elected representative asking for change.
Remember when Stephen Harper’s government sent body bags to the Wasagamack First Nation during the H1N1 influenza outbreak instead of trained medical professionals with vaccines?
Did you know there was a separate and inferior health care system for Indigenous peoples? Read Maureen Lux’s book, Separate Beds (2016).
Be aware that Indigenous people were restricted from voting in federal elections until 1960.
Do you have access to clean drinking water? You are lucky. Also, ‘luck’ really has nothing to do with it; these conditions were historically engineered.
In a country that is ‘safe,’ such as Canada, 57% of Indigenous women are sexually assaulted during their lifetimes.
Recall that First Nations people were forced to choose between maintaining their Status under the Indian Act and going to university or serving in the armed forces, and women lost their status by marrying a non-Indigenous person.
Find out who was forced out of your area before you moved there, whether centuries ago or more recently with new housing developments.
Imagine living for six weeks on a hunger strike, with no sustenance but broth. To get a meeting with the prime minister. Hello, Chief Theresa Spence.
Write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and ask that the government implement the promises he made to Indigenous people in the 2015 election.
Does your child have a school nearby? Realize that it receives better funding that on-reserve schools. By at least 30%.
Actively seek out Indigenous heroes and role models. How about Dr. Nadine Caron, the first First Nations woman to become a surgeon? Or Mohawk athlete Waneek Horn-Miller? Or a historical figure, such as Thanadelthur?
Do you have an Indigenous political candidate in your area? Even though they might not be affiliated with your political party of choice, phone or email them and start a conversation.
Who was the last Indigenous person to win the Polaris Prize?
Support the rights of Indigenous nations to exercise their sovereignty. For example, learn about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy passport.
Recognize that Indigenous legal orders and laws guiding society existed in this land before the authority of the Canadian nation state.
When travelling, know whose land you are visiting while on vacation or travelling for work.
Do more than google.
If you are talking about or researching Indigenous peoples, have you included any of their voices?
Support Indigenous parents by learning the issues that they are faced with, which are often scenarios that settler Canadians take for granted. For instance, the use of Indigenous names on government documents and how that can be problematic. But also how these ‘issues’ can be resolved by speaking out!
#NODAPL.
Yes, this all might seem scary! Keep going, if you are committed.
Acknowledge that current (and sometimes vexed) First Nations politics are governed by the Indian Act.
Learn about why the opinions of Senator Lynn Beyak are problematic.
Consider the diverse family forms that existed here before settlers arrived. This included strong matrilineal families in various forms, such as polyamorous relations.
Did you know that in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, territorial law acknowledges Indigenous custom adoptions?
Write Robert-Falcon Ouellette a letter of support for speaking Cree in the House of Commons.
This year was the twenty-seventh anniversary of the so-called ‘Oka Crisis.’ What do you know about it?
Ever wonder why only English and French are Canada’s official languages when there are at least sixty Indigenous languages in this land?
Read about the Daniels Decision and why it is important.
Learn about Chanie Wenjack’s story by watching this Heritage Minute. Know that his story was shared by thousands of other Indigenous children.
Remember that good intentions can be harmful too.
Did you know that Indigenous peoples had sophisticated ways of caring for our landscapes to prevent massive fires, floods, and other natural disasters? Learn more about these methods.
That fish you are going to catch during this long weekend? Learn the Indigenous word for it and local teachings about it.
Did you know that two remarkably successful Hollywood films included Indigenous actors? Watch The Revenant’s Melaw Nakeh’ko and Wonder Woman’s Eugene Brave Rock!
Watch Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s Angry Inuk.
Hold businesses accountable to your personal ethics and ideologies.
Do not assume that you are entitled to attend a local sweat or other spiritual ceremony.
BUT if you are invited to ceremony – definitely go. This is an honour!
If you actually want to see the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people change, and commit to making reconciliation a part of your every-day ethos.
When visiting a museum, do so critically. Ask who tells the story, how that item got there, and what processes are in place around repatriation.
Consider the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Chelsea Vowel has a good blogpost about this.
Follow @Resistance150 on Twitter and learn why Canada 150 is not something to celebrate for many Indigenous peoples. After all, Canada does not celebrate the fact that Indigenous Nations have existed in this land since Time Immemorial.
Observe what is celebrated and recognized in the monuments, parks, and street names in your city. Think about how public history could be told differently.
Learn the original names of places. Learn what places were and are important to Indigenous people.
Discover the world of Indigenous blogging. Zoe Todd, Erica Violet Lee, Billy-Ray Belcourt, and Chelsea Vowel are among the best.
Consider the words that you use. For example, do not call your group of friends a “tribe,” describe a meeting as a “pow-wow,” or call a non-Indigenous leader “Chief.”
Learn the stories behind some of your favourite music. For example, read about how Lillian Shirt’s grandmother may have inspired the song “Imagine” by John Lennon.
Visit the website of the nearest First Nation(s) or Indigenous communities. Read their short introduction and history.
Find opportunities to learn about how Indigenous people experience the place where you live. Look for a local speaker’s series or an online resource.
Volunteer your time to an Indigenous non-profit organization.
Support Indigenous media (newspapers, radio stations, social media sites, and TV stations).
If you read a news story that feeds into stereotypes, write a letter to complain and ask for Indigenous perspectives on local, national, and international news.
Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Our government has committed to implementing it.
Read the Indian Act.
Read the report on the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples.
Is there any public art by Indigenous artists in your area? If so, visit it and learn about the artists.
Read In This Together: Fifteen True Stories of Real Reconciliation (2016) and write down your own “lightbulb” moment when you realized the harsh reality of colonization in Canada.
Make reconciliation a family project and complete items on this list together. Bring your children to events, learn words in an Indigenous language together, and organize a youth blanket exercise, for example.
Start your own Heart Garden with messages of support for residential school survivors.
Start to learn and understand cultural protocol. Know this will change according to Indigenous nation and region.
Commit to being a lifelong student beyond Canada 150.
Look up and learn about an Indigenous athlete. We have NHL players and Olympians among the mix!
The Bering Land bridge is one way of telling migration history. But Indigenous people have their own explanation of ancient histories and that needs to be respected. Read about these conversations here and here.
Share this list on social media.
Look for and share the positive stories about Indigenous people, not just the negative ones.
Invite local Indigenous people in to your event or organization.
Know that when you are inviting an Indigenous person in, they are often overburdened and overworked.
Give an honorarium if you expect an Indigenous person to contribute their time and effort.
Cite Indigenous authors and academics in your work.
Consider using Indigenous research methodologies in your work. Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies (1999) is the singular most important book for this.
Want to incorporate Indigenous elements or policies into your workplace? Hire an Indigenous consultant.
Ask yourself how to support Indigenous families who have lost loved ones as the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls unravels.
Seek opportunities to collaborate that span forms of both Indigenous knowledge and western knowledge.
Update your email signature to reflect the territory you live and work on.
Encourage the institution you work for or study at to formally acknowledge the territory.
Check out Remember, Resist, Redraw: A Radical History Poster Project. Find more about the project here and support the cause here.
Make a financial donation to a local Indigenous organization.
Get behind the initiatives to rename Langevin Block and Ryerson University and learn why this is important.
Support initiatives to change the racist names of sports teams. Learn why this is so important to many Indigenous people.
Support and celebrate the persistence of land-based economies, such as the seal hunt.
Read fiction by Indigenous authors. A good place to start is the most recent copy of The Malahat Review, which you can read online for free, here.
If you own property, revisit the documents that gave you ‘title’ to your land. Think about who has the authority to grant this title and who does not.
Order a “Colonialism 150” t-shirt here.
Next time you want to talk to an Indigenous person about their background, try your best not to frame the discussion in terms of blood quantum (i.e. how “much” Indigenous or white blood they have). Instead, ask what community they belong to and learn the name of their people.
Actively commit to eliminating stereotypes about Indigenous identities by gently correcting people. For instance, being “mixed blood” does not make one Métis.
Make a financial or in-kind contribution to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Contact your alma mater and inquire about the number of Indigenous people on the Board of Governors or the Senate.
Check out some of the videos by the 1491s for a laugh.
Visit Walking With Our Sisters website and discover if they are coming to your region.
Read about the story of one missing or murdered Indigenous woman in your region.
Memorize her name and learn about her life.
Familiarize yourself with Cindy Blackstock’s important work.
Find out if your local hospital has an All Nations Healing room or something similar. If not, ask your employer to help fund one.
Here is a shout out to all the amazing aunties, kokums, jijuus, and aagaas! Hai cho’o for your continued guidance and support.
Understand that reconciliation is not about “feeling guilty.” It is about knowledge, action, and justice.
Why stop at 150? After all, Indigenous nations are celebrating millennia on this land. Build on this list or start and share your own.