10 Things you can do now to support the Indigenous Peoples of Canada

This is an opinion piece and does not reflect the beliefs and views of my employer.

Just last week, they discovered 215 graves at a residential school in Kamloops. This horrible discovery has sent shock waves across the country and forced many to see an ugly truth previously omitted, denied and ignored. The Honorable Carolyn Bennet, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, told CBC on The National in a recent interview, “Once you know the truth, you cannot un-know the truth.” 

If you feel confused, upset and want to help, here are some things you can do now that will help. These are things you can do on your own time as well as with your company.

1. Read the Truth and Reconciliation Report or at least the summary. These are the expressed needs of the Indigenous People of Canada by our Indigenous People to address their generational pain and steps towards recovery. Discover what was omitted from your Canadian history classes. 

2. Learn about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Begin to learn about the global framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the world's Indigenous People. Take the time to examine what we have and have not done and look into what you can do to help move things along.  

3. Mark your calendars to celebrate, support and when/if possible attend –

• Orange Shirt Day - September 30.
• National Indigenous Education Month - November
• Treaties Recognition Week – First week of November
• Louis Riel Day, November 16
• Inuit Day, November 7
• Commemorating Indigenous Veterans, November 8
• National Day of Murdered Missing Indigenous Women and Girls – May 5
• National Indigenous History Month – June
• National Indigenous Peoples Day – June 21

4. Indigenous people across the country run the Kairos Blanket Exercise Program a movement of Indigenous, settler and newcomer peoples committed to ecological justice and human rights. Their vision is for everyone in Canada to experience a KAIROS Blanket Exercise at least once. 

5. Orange Shirt Society. On Monday, May 31st, there was a call from school boards across the country to wear orange shirts. The orange shirts reflect the story of a former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, who went to her first day of school wearing a shiny new orange shirt bought by her grandmother. She was six, and it was taken away from her, never to be returned. An Indigenous Artist designs the orange shirts produced by the Orange Society every year. This year (2021) was developed by Shayne Hommy, a Grade 11 First Nation Cree student. Partial proceeds go to the Orange Shirt Society to support Indian Residential School Reconciliation and create awareness around inter-generational impacts through Orange Shirt Society activities. And to generate an understanding of the concept of “Every Child Matters.”

6. Support Indigenous businesses, artists and writers. A new up and comer is Mallory Yawnghwe the President of Indigenous Box Inc. Poke around online and I suspect there is even more through word of mouth.

7. Be inspired. There are several fantastic motivational speakers to follow, like Lance Cardinal or Sandi Boucher. There are some beautiful and engaging films, television shows, authors and musicians. Learn about their views, sources of inspiration, sit, listen and think about what is being said and shared.

8. Learn how to pronounce the Indigenous name of the city you live in, and what the name means.

9. Take a free academic course on the history of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. The University of Alberta, for example offers a free online 12 lesson course. 

10. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s easy to feel anger and shame while learning about atrocities affiliated with a country we love and crimes from the past we may not have started. Still, we have allowed (often unknowingly) to continue. 

We inherited a system we did not create. But we can learn about it and help dismantle it. We need to go through pain, shame and discomfort to take ownership of where things are today and create a better future for everyone. This month represents a journey of healing. It may sound like pie in the sky, but recovery will be achieved with a lot of commitment and effort.

And one of the most important things is don’t prescribe what the Indigenous People need. Listen and let them guide the conversation. This is not time for white saviours and superficial, short-term good faith gestures. Now is the time to commit to a long and challenging journey.

 If you or anyone you know is in need of support at this time the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419.