Oh canada…..

Today is not a day to celebrate. It is a day to reflect and learn and look to the future of what can be done to move forward and have actual reconciliation.

It doesn’t matter how people may try to spin it, canada day is a day of acknowledging genocide and colonization. It is a day to remember the selfish, colonial, misogynistic, patriarchal and fascistic nature of the people who came here and stole this land. And the people who are still here trying to dominate the land and the Indigenous people of it.

Science fiction has us looking to the sky, fearing aliens could one day come and take us over. Well, in this scenario, we colonizers are the aliens who came and took over. Just because we dug in and procreated doesn’t change our alien status.

I had a vision this morning. A vision of what could have been. Imagine if the people who first came to dominate and colonize this land had even an iota of ‘wokeness’.  Imagine if they saw that people already lived here and instead of being the racist, ignorant, selfish, cruel, patriarchal assholes they were, (and canada day celebrates) they let the original people of this land stay in charge. They let the Indigenous guide and teach them and they were able to live and be together and form something new and beautiful as co-inhabitants of the planet. What a different and I’d say better world we would live in.

If people want to celebrate genocide and whiteness and ignorance they could at least give credit where credit is due and that is to Laura Secord. No, not because of chocolate. If that is all you know about her, well it just reinforces the misogynistic and patriarchal bullshit narrative we have been taught. She is the reason we are not part of ‘merica. She is the reason we remained british colonizers on this land. You can take my word for it or do a little research of your own.

The question now is how do we move forward with reconciliation. I believe it includes a lot of listening to the indigenous which is then accompanied with actually respecting their words and doing what is asked of us. It is the least we can do and yet I have little hope this society can or is willing to do so. As a huge swath of people currently still have not, nor seem to understand even the basic premise of what reconciliation is. There is a lot of talk and very little action.

I used to be one of those people who loved canada day. I enjoy a party and parades and all the things that they heap on it to make us forget what it actually is about. For a long time I took the ignorant stance of I was born here and I personally never committed those atrocities and I want to party. I couldn’t see beyond my own white indoctrination. I didn’t see what the day was actually about. I didn’t understand that my support of the colonial systems and patriarchy meant I was still perpetrating those same atrocities. That by not fully supporting the Indigenous I was on the side of the oppressors. I am so thankful I was able to dismantle and can now see my part in the scene. I am descended from the aliens that were awful, beyond disgraceful who stole this land. I may have been born here, but as a visitor.

What am doing now in my life to make up for my previous ignorance?

Listening. Educating myself. Not being scared to have been wrong and able to admit it. Doing what is asked of me by the Indigenous community. Not falling into the old traps that racism and colonialization want me too.

I hope you consider carefully what you are choosing to ‘celebrate’ and partake on this day.

Danke for being here,

Lisel

#forstmedia #canadadayisembarrasing #letsdobetter

P.S. what is happening in ‘merica right now is highly disturbing…..blerg….