There’s nothing wrong with loving where you live. Canada is a beautiful place, with many things to be proud of. Our history is not one of them.
On the lands which we currently occupy, one of the greatest genocides in human history took place. That cannot be overstated.
In a series of calculated decisions, the people who founded this country employed biological warfare, mass imprisonment and the seizure of children. They did this in order to hypnotize a generation, and the effects are still being felt to this day.
Statistics Canada shows us that 30 per cent of prisoners enrolled in correctional services from 2016-17 were Indigenous, compared to only 5 per cent of the general population.
Indigenous youth make up 46 percent of the juvenile detention population.
There is nothing wrong with going out with your friends and enjoying the celebrations – but please remember that this can be a painful day for many people who live in your community. The happy futures afforded to us by this land came at an unthinkable cost.
But I encourage you to think about it.
East Van to Elsewhere 