Many communities are re-imagining Canada Day celebration to recognize indigenous People, as the country continues to carry on with its heritage after the discovery of potentially unmarked graves in former residential schools.
“Being Canadian is engaging with these really difficult things,” said Sean Carleton, assistant professor of history and indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba.
“Being Canadian is, at this very moment, reflective of the history of colonialism and residential schools as a way of trying to forge new, better, stronger relationships.”
Organizers from coast to coast say they are trying to balance the celebrations of Canada’s pride with indigenous peoples with reflections on the country’s difficult history.
Some incidents were hushed up last year amid a sense of mass mourning after possible graves were found at the former site of Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. More potential graves have been found across the country since this year.
On Canada Day last year in Winnipeg, thousands took to the streets – dressed in orange in honor of residential school survivors – in a demonstration that led to the toppling of statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature.
This year, organizers of the large Canada Day celebrations in Forks – an important site for Indigenous people in the city of Winnipeg – have renamed the event “A New Day”, canceled fireworks and promised events that reflect Along with being there are also festivals.
The decision has been controversial locally, but Carleton praised the organizers for listening to the request of the city’s indigenous people.
The holiday is recent. Canada Day was created in 1982 to replace Dominion Day, which celebrated the Confederation and Canada’s relationship to the British Empire and royal project.
Carlton said the national holiday is an opportunity to continually define who we want to be as Canadians and not be stagnant.
In developing plans for Saskatoon, Canada Day project director Shad Ali began by looking at the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and consulting with Indigenous partners. He was encouraged to use the holiday as an opportunity to educate the public about the true history of the country.
Ali said raising awareness of injustice helps build the country that Canada deserves to be.
“All I want is a nation that is strong and independent, a nation that we want to protect,” Ali said tearfully. “That’s where I chose to make my living as an immigrant.”
Organizers in Vancouver have renamed their event “Canada Together” and adopted the theme of “weaving together the fabric of a nation”. The intention of the day is to gather, celebrate, learn and share.
The 36th Annual Event at Canada Place on the Port of Vancouver has often included Indigenous programming in the past, but this year the organizers teamed up with representatives from the Musqueum, Squamish and Tsell-Wouth nations to create the day’s events, Gillian Behnke. Community relations and programs with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said manager.
“We got a lot of support from the local nations. He added: ‘Yes, we see this as an event that should go ahead, but with a different intention,’ she said.
Organizers have further committed to working closely with First Nations in the planning of Canada Day.
There will also be a re-envisioned event in Halifax that was developed in collaboration with indigenous communities. It aims to honor the traditions of the Mi’kmaq nation and celebrate indigenous communities, said Cheryl Kopez-Ghehu, the city’s indigenous community engagement consultant.
Last year, events were canceled and residents were encouraged to use the time for reflection.
Kopez-Ghehu, who is a Mi’kmaq from the Sipeken’Katik First Nation, said this year’s event is an opportunity to negotiate peace and friendship – the true intent of the original treaties.
“This is an opportunity to learn from our collective tragic past? And how can we move forward together and make this a better place for our Indigenous and settler communities to live together.”
Education about colonialism and residential schools should be included in any Canada Day event, said Lisa Howell, a professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the organizers of the Reimagine Canada Day project.
The project was developed by educators and Indigenous members after potential graves were discovered and offers a self-guided tour around Ottawa to learn about the country’s history.
“There is a myth among Canadians that colonialism is something in our past and that myth prevents us from understanding the inequalities and injustices that are going on today,” she said.
Howell said people can continue to take pride in being Canadian. But they also have to recognize that building better and more equitable relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples is part of that identity.
— With files from Dirk Meisner in Victoria
© 2022 Canadian Press