#J11 - Idle No More Day of Global Action

It's the night before a global day of action for Idle No More, a grassroots movement lead by indigenous peoples in Canada that has gained attention around the world. As each day passes there's always more to read, think about, and learn that I've found it difficult to make myself sit down and write. I will try to post what I've been working on soon, but I wanted to take a moment tonight to pause and reflect on what is taking place right now in Canada. I feel as if we are at a critical turning point and that what happens now has the potential to reshape all of our lives for the better, if we rise to the occasion. I am grateful to this movement for giving us this opportunity. 

Growing up as a non-indigenous, middle-class kid in Canada in the 1980s, I did not learn the ugly truths about colonialism, residential schools and the systematic exploitation of aboriginal peoples in my country. What I do remember learning about aboriginal people and their relations with European settlers was that they traded goods, such as fur.

It wasn't until I entered university and took a course on human rights that I learned about the exploitation, oppression and repression of indigenous people in Canada. It was a rude awakening. It wasn't that I didn't know that there were people living on this land before settlers arrived. I wasn't completely unaware that European powers had overtaken land that they had no right to. But until I studied history and read and heard people's stories, I didn't understand how that related to present day Canada, to relations between the Canadian government and aboriginal peoples, and to me.

Idle No More has reminded me that to understand Canada's present and our place in it, and to be a part of shaping its future, we need to learn more about our past. We need to listen to what indigenous peoples are telling us, to follow their lead, and to work in partnership with them to foster relationships are characterized by mutual respect, understanding, and good faith.

Tomorrow I will march to Parliament Hill and join indigenous and non-indigenous people in calling on the federal government to repeal legislation that threatens the integrity of our environment and the rights of aboriginal peoples in Canada and to commit to working in partnership with First Nations communities in a spirit of good faith.