July 1st, 2021
Collectively, our nation is in mourning. These past weeks have been a really challenging time for Canadians, but especially so for Indigenous Peoples. So many are experiencing grief, stress, sadness and pain as the truth is becoming more and more agonizingly apparent with every discovery of the remains of Indigenous children at one of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. The brutal legacy of the Indian Residential school system lives on in Canada today. These past few weeks have opened the eyes of some, but for others these revelations have re-opened old wounds, inflicting new pain and trauma.
I’ve sat down at my computer a dozen times to write something about Canada Day, and every time I’ve been unable to put my feelings into words. I’ve represented our country in and out of competition for over two decades, and I’ve always been so proud to be Canadian. Attempting to rationalize my Canadian pride with my commitment to achieving better outcomes for Indigenous people and walk the path of truth and reconciliation in a meaningful way hasn’t proven to be a productive internal dialogue.
I simply do not have the words to express what I feel right now. I suspect I’m not the only one.
After the discovery of the remains of 215 children in the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc community on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, I wrote a statement, stood up in the House of Commons and called an emergency meeting on my committee, Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN). All parties agreed to host the meeting, and Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners Murray Sinclair, Willie Littlechild and Marie Wilson joined us and spoke for two hours. Much was shared, but one thing they said has really stuck with me. They said it wasn’t a discovery because the community knew exactly where to look. They said people shouldn’t be surprised, and that well over 4000 children died while attending residential schools, so many more unmarked graves would continue to be uncovered.
This is a reckoning for Canada. We must confront our past and acknowledge that the generational impact of this genocide is being felt to this day. We need to confront the reality that systemic racism is a reality faced by too many in this country. There are reminders and ugly examples of anti-Indigenous racism, as well as anti-Black and anti-Asian racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and other forms of hatred every day in Canada.
If, like me, you’ve never experienced bigotry or hate, that’s a privilege. That privilege brings with it an obligation to learn, grow and improve. Ally is a verb, and we all have a role to play. Canada will be a better place to live if we all admit that there are too many Indigenous and Black youth in Canadian jails, if we accept that it is our collective responsibility to ensure women in hijabs can walk safely in our communities, and if we can all agree that wearing a Turban shouldn’t disqualify you from respect or public work in this country.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve visited over half a dozen school classrooms virtually to answer questions from students, in grades 5-10. With them, I’ve reflected on the fact that there was an operational Residential School in Canada while I was in high school – but we didn’t learn a thing about it, or about Indigenous history or culture. But the number of questions I receive on topics related to better outcomes for Indigenous people from students, and the number of handwritten letters I’ve received at my office from kids gives me great hope. Kids today are learning the truth. They are asking the right questions and demanding real answers. That represents progress, and I’m so grateful to the teachers who spend time on these important issues with their students.
Canada is far from perfect, but it’s not time to make excuses. And for me, it’s certainly not time for a party. Whatever July 1st is for you and yours, whether that’s a celebration or a protest, if it’s time for activism or quiet reflection, healing or education – I hope that it’s meaningful and productive. I know that I love Canada, and that a true act of love and solidarity is wanting to see this country improve, grow, develop, and heal.
Tomorrow I’ll be re-reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, I’ll be visiting a local Indigenous Grandmother’s Voice healing ceremony. I’ll be wearing an orange t-shirt – reflecting on our shared path forward, and the work that is necessary to build a stronger, fairer, more consciously inclusive country. Canada has a reputation that is worth trying to live up to, and I for one am up for that challenge.