5 Considerations for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is for non-Indigenous folks to sit with the truth and reflect on the work that has to be done – not just on Sept 30th, but every day of the year. The problem is, on October 1st, most non-Indigenous folks take off their orange shirts and go back to their day-to-day lives, ignoring Indigenous peoples and our countries violence towards them.

While the writers of this post and the founder of this project are not Indigenous, many of us have ancestrally and present-day experiences with colonial violence. In addition, we benefit from these colonial systems in Canada, at the expense of the historic and ongoing violence towards Indigenous peoples.

These are considerations developed based on the reflections we heard from Indigenous communities and from within our community after last year's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which we've compiled here.

On Canada Project is deeply passionate about our country's responsibility and duty as treaty partners, as well as our individual responsibility as treaty partners with Indigenous peoples.

Here are 5 considerations from our project in order to know and do better on the second National day for Truth and Reconciliation.

• On asking Indigenous folks to do work:

  Asking Indigenous folk to do the work of helping us understand the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation kind of feels like we collectively don't understand the assignment.

  First of all, Indigenous folks shared their truth while participating in the hearings conducted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We normally refer you to the 94 Calls to Action, but invite you to read the full report too.

  Second, asking Indigenous folks to explain historical trauma in spaces that have historically and currently ignore or silence them, such as the media, government and really, pretty much every other institution, is fucked up because it requires the re-sharing of information without working to address its causes nor meet the needs of Indigenous communities.

  That is especially problematic since the reality is that the majority of these spaces will go back to ignoring Indigenous peoples after Sept 30. We've got an upcoming post on trauma porn that will help explain why this is problematic AF, and invite you to Google it if you want to learn ASAP. On wearing an orange shirt:

  We get that legacy media is trying to center Indigenous voices, and we can appreciate that. Still, we ask them to think and reflect critically about if asking Indigenous folks, including media staff, to work on their Orange Shirt Day is fair.

  Further, we invite legacy media to realize that they can be a force for good by ensuring that this Friday isn't just a performative moment. You can change how they report and share stories by centring Indigenous voices on an ongoing basis (see our last slide for examples of subject matter areas).

  To our friends in legacy media: We're more than happy to share ways we try our best to bring a trauma and violence informed, equity and inclusion lens to how we share information!

  Alternative Media Coverage Idea: On September 30 we would love to see legacy media organizations (like CTV, Global, CBC, etc,) host a joint gathering of the cabinet (we hear they all had the day off, so they're avaiable), and go through each of the 94 Calls to Action and ask them what the hold up is.

• On wearing an orange shirt:

  Wearing an orange shirt can be an important part of Truth and Reconciliation — but it doesn't magically make you an ally. Neither does skipping Canada Day celebrations nor just giving a land acknowledgement. Indigenous communities need ongoing solidarity and a rejection of performative measures from politicians, governments, and non-Indigenous folk.

  We know our community cares about issues like the climate crisis, systemic racism, houselessness and wealth inequality - all of which cannot be sustainably solved without involving and centring Indigenous voices and leadership.

  These issues are a matter of human rights - human rights Canada fails to uphold - and are inherently Indigenous issues because they systemically disproportionally affect Indigenous people.

  Remember, if your solidarity feels comfortable to you, you're doing it wrong.

  Are you going to wear an orange shirt on September 30th? Great! Here are some things you can do on an ongoing basis:

  I. Email your MP, your provincial elected reps, your senators, your city councillor, your mayor, your school board trustee, your boss, your boss' boss, etc., about what they're doing to enact the 94 Calls to Action and to support, protect and celebrate Indigenous lives. Find your rep here: oncanadaproject.ca/FindYourRep

  II. If your employer or school took time on Sept 30th to discuss Truth and Reconciliation, ask them how they plan to continue not just discussions but also actions that support, celebrate and protect Indigenous folks and their treaty rights.

  Pro Tip: Once you have all those email addresses from #1, copy and paste that email and schedule a bunch more into the future so that your leaders hear from you on a regular basis. #HoldThemAccountable

• On “Indian Fatigue”

  "Indian fatigue" refers to the speed at which Indigenous stories, perspectives and issues fall off the news cycle (if they even make it on the news). We see it with so many social issues (looking at you, #blacksquare): an unjust event makes headlines, spurs outrage, upset, promises by people, corporations and governments, only to fade into the background as soon as we hear about the next celebrity affair.

  Here is a non-exhaustive list of things we think deserve ongoing media coverage:

  • The federal government has the names of the people who physically, sexually and emotionally abused and tortured children in residential 'schools' and yet there have been NO CHARGES LAID AGAINST THEM

  • We have 94 calls to action and only 10 were completed before June 2021. We also have 231 Calls to Justice from MMIWG Report.

  • That Indigenous children make up 7.7% of Canada's population but account for 52% of the children in the foster care system

  • Indigenous leadership in the protection of biodiversity and natural areas - drilling has begun at Wet'suwet'en!!

• On Tokenism:

  Don't pat yourself on the back for doing the bare minimum (especially if you're an employer/leader).

  If you are an employer, hiring one guest speaker, wearing an orange shirt, or doing a one-time donation isn't an ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. What calls to action is your company employing? What Indigenous vendors do you work with?

  We got a lot of requests last year for our founder to be paid to host discussions about the role of Treaty Partners in Truth and Reconciliation on Sept 30, which we turned down. Why? Because when we asked what other efforts these organizations were taking toward Truth and Reconciliation, they came up empty.

  If your employer or school takes time on Sept 30th to discuss Truth and Reconciliation, ask them how they plan to continue not just discussions but also actions that support, celebrate and protect Indigenous folks and their treaty rights.

• Truth and Reconciliation is not a one-day thing. It's a 365* day thing

  When watching legacy media – such as CTV, Global, Bell Media, CBC, etc., – tweet at them and ask how Indigenous voices are being centred in their journalism and storytelling.

  Some issues that should be centring Indigenous voices for sustainable long-term solutions:

• TRC's 94 calls to action

• MMWIG 231 calls for justice

• climate crisis

• the energy sector, in particular, the building of pipelines

• mental health

• women's safety

• the housing crisis

• education system

• criminal 'justice'

• opioid epidemic

• literally any government policy

• protecting the environment

• food justice

• police reform

• health system

• the pandemic

A Non-Exhaustive List of Ways to be an Active Ally

• De-center whiteness from your social media by following Indigenous creators and elders.

• Connect with all levels of your elected officials and ask that they enact the 94 Calls to Action. Ask how the policies they are bringing up support Indigenous sovereignty, ask if they've consulted Indigenous leaders.

• Challenge friends, family, and community members with outdated stereotypes to become active allies, since they are treaty partners too.

• Use your social media platform to normalize conversations around Indigenous rights.

• Many things we learn in school are stolen and whitewashed from Indigenous practices — Google "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Blackfoot Nation"

• Ask that your teachers and professors decolonize their lesson plans and attribute teachings from Indigenous folks accordingly.

• When conducting business, choose Indigenous-owned companies as partners, vendors, etc.

• When a potential employer asks you in an interview if you have any questions, ask them how they enact the calls to action in their organization.