The One Where Everyone Misses The Point
Welcome to ‘The One Where Everyone Misses The Point’ is in response to comments found under our Instagram version of this piece.
The Post Where Everyone (Seemingly) Misses The Point
The comments under this post make us feel like many people missed the point. And we’re wondering how we can help further explain it. As we do this, we are acutely aware, and nervous, about how making folks uncomfortable means people will likely unfollow us - and we don’t want that - On Canada Project is a community, but we’ve never been good at biting our tongues either.
So we’ll start this by saying - that we write this with the utmost love for you and respect for the journeys we’re all on to unlearn and the different stages of these journeys we’re all individually at.
We know that most people are good, but that we operate within an incredibly flawed system of haves and have-nots. But being good and doing good, are not the same thing. And what our world needs today is good people willing to get out of their comfort zones and actually do good.
“It feels important to add, as someone who is still paying off her post-grad loans and was raised to be risk-averse as the eldest daughter of an immigrant mom and a refugee dad – that I wouldn't gamble everything my parents and ancestors have sacrificed to give me a life better than theirs - for the chronic uncertainty, late nights and penny-pinching that comes with (accidental) entrepreneurship – if I did not wholeheartedly believe, with every fibre in my being, that it is possible for all of us to have better than what we're currently being forced to accept in Canada"
Which is why we do what we do here.
We believe that if we bridge information gaps, and give people ways to take action, so that we can invite more people - good people - into necessary conversations about the future of our country and world - so that they can do good, champion good, demand good of our people, leader and country.
We do this work because we know that Canada can be better than what it is right now. We believe in a shared future where basic needs are met, the air is clean and safe to breathe, and where neglected communities exist alongside white people as equals - not just on paper but in practice.
The Post Where Everyone (Seemingly) Misses The Point
The point of this post is to speak to
(1)the systemic neglect Indigenous people have been facing,
(2) the critical role they play in protecting our planet,
(3)the special RCMP unit that violently harms indigenous peoples as they protect our planet
(4) and the role we, as non-indigenous people, have now that we know better.
To illustrate this, we compared how in the same way it sucks/is wrong that people in Ontario didn’t care about wildfires as much as we do now that we’re directly being impacted just like how all white people and non-indigenous people of colour are also guilty of not caring enough about the climate emergency we’re in until we’re directly being impacted.
What We Are Seeing In The Comments
From what we’re seeing in the comments, is a hyper-focus on Ontario not caring about the B.C part, and the B.C people have been experiencing this for a while and no one was helping them.
There is a complete absence of folks speaking to the Indigenous component - which again is the bulk of the post and the point of the post.
What we take away from this, is people seem to still be centring themselves and their individual feelings — (which, to be fair, is a byproduct of a society grounded in individualization (rather than collectivism) and white supremacy culture - which is the culture of western countries. Read about it (yes, we have a post on it))—
So we’re wondering if you could all work with us to decenter yourselves for a moment. Stop thinking about the “me” and “my” and start thinking about the “we” and “us”.
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A Brief Intro to Collectivism
And we’re wondering if you could all work with us to decenter yourselves for a moment. Stop thinking about the “me” and “my” and start thinking about the “we” and “us”
– and if that’s difficult, we want you to borrow from Eastern cultures (the same ones that created Yoga, Gua Sha, etc.,) - or from Indigenous cultures (for example, Haudenosaunee have a philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future) — these cultures are deeply grounded in respecting and praying to our ancestors, and caring for our future descendants… it’s low-key kinda weird that most of the world has that, but Europeans/European decedents don’t, but that’s a different post-
So forget about strangers and think about your bloodline - be it a direct descendant, or your nieces and nephews’ kids - your families bloodline - that goes generations before you had, and generations after you will have as well -
So for a moment and think about future generations of your own family. Descendants three generations from now, your great, great, great grand relative- congrats! It’s a girl! Their pronouns are they/she; they’re queer and visibly mix-raced!
Uncomfortable Truths (and the responsibility we have to sit with the discomfort that comes with them)
The post we shared highlighted an uncomfortable truth: that white people and non-Indigenous people of colour in Canada have been ignoring what Indigenous peoples have been saying for hundreds of years regarding the climate catastrophe. Had we listened to them sooner, maybe parts of Canada wouldn’t have spent a decade with worsening wildfires and floods.
Here's what we’ve noticed: when people are faced with uncomfortable truths, we either choose to work through and process that uncomfortable thing, or we can choose to avoid it.
Obviously, working through it is where that personal growth comes in, and it also allows you to show up better as an ally and co-conspirator for a better world for both people and the planet.
Whereas -and we all do this for different things in our lives- we can choose to avoid it, and often, when we avoid something, we create a narrative for ourselves that allows us to feel okay about the fact that we’re ignoring this.
For Example:
when cis-men are told they are being sexist, they say things like, “I’m not sexist; I have a daughter”
when straight people are told they are being homophobic, they say things like, “I’m not homophobic; my best friend is bisexual, and once in uni, I kissed a girl”
when white people are told they are being racist, they say things like, “I’m not racist; I’ve dated so many Black guys before,” “I voted for Obama,” “My kids are mixed-race,” “My best friends Asian,”
We suspect this stems from a sense of fragility. When we use sexism as an example, the guy saying, “But I have a daughter,” knows that sexism is wrong, and we suspect if there was an easy way to ensure he would never be sexist - he’d likely do that.
But unlearning sexism internally, when we live in a system and culture that is, inherently sexist, is a lot more difficult. And to be honest, our government changed laws but didn’t change the culture; there was no meaningful education component to helping men - who had always thought they had all the power and were worthy of it - that all genders are equal and deserving too.
And we don’t like doing difficult things, even when they’re necessary and crucial for the future of our planet, species, and humanity.
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On Canada Project is launching a one of a kind community unlearning experience this summer.
If you want to learn more about it, information will be shared first with the people in our Social Good Crew.
So, when folks reading our from the comments post are faced with the uncomfortable truth, and read that they, along with other non-Indigenous people in Canada, have collectively been complicit in the neglect of Indigenous peoples, and as such, have allowed the climate catastrophe to worsen, many of them in the comments and in our DMs have said things like:
“I’m not anti-Indigenous; I wear an orange shirt”
“I live in B.C/Quebec/Alberta/etc. I’m impacted by wildfires all the time ”
“I’m not like the rest of the people in Ontario; I donated to the red cross for wildfires in Alberta”
Now, to be extra clear, we aren’t saying that these things aren’t true - we’re saying that even if they are true, it doesn’t take away from the fact that non-Indigenous people of colour and white people have not been listening, trusting and supporting Indigenous peoples re: their human rights violations and the worsening climate crisis.
And, in an effort to ensure that our wires don’t get crossed will tell you that these two issues are deeply intertwined. That you can’t have one without the other.
Meaning, there is no sustainable, long-term solution for the climate crisis (that is the result of unchecked capitalism and politicians unwilling to do their job) without the inclusion and leadership of Indigenous peoples. Protecting Indigenous rights and freedoms is directly connected to our ability to protect our planet.
Meaning the fact that Indigenous human rights are being violated in Canada - both right this second to about 30-40 years ago when climate scientists confirmed what Indigenous peoples were saying to when colonizers first came and violently stole this land - should show you where Canada’s priorities are regarding the climate emergency.
A Non-Exhaustive Equitable Breakdown Of Accountability
This week we’ve written an abundance of posts that put the people deserving of the most blame front and centre.
Notably absent from our critical reflections this week is the fossil fuel industry, developers, etc - aka the private sector, the ultra-rich, etc.,
The reason for this is while we don’t agree or appreciate what these destroyers of our planet - they aren’t at the very top of our shit list because they never claimed to give a fuck about people and the planet, and for all their many, many faults and failures - they have been steadfast in doing what they always said they would do, and we conceptually can appreciate that.
Aka The private sector is a for-profit sector, corporations’ priorities are to make a profit, and they have a responsibility to their shareholders. We may not agree with how they do things, but we appreciate that in a twisted Slytherin way, they are doing “right'“ by what they said they would do.
Now, our government and elected officials, on the other hand - are a completely different type of entity. Our democratic government’s responsibility is to represent and serve the interests of its citizens, uphold the rule of law, protect individual rights and freedoms, provide public services, promote social welfare, and govern the country in a manner that fosters peace, stability, and prosperity. And its shareholders are the public.
Our government is supposed to be our advocate and our representative. Their job is to read the terms and conditions and push back when needed with the publics’ interests at heart, and we - white people, BIPOC, queer folk, trans folks, religious minorities, low-income folks, disabled folks, migrants, etc., - pay them to do so with our taxes.
They said they’d have our back, and they failed us - want to know how we know they failed us because the air wasn’t safe to breathe in half of Canada this week. Meaning over 30 years of politicians at every level of government choosing to fail the people they are elected and paid to represent. It was quite literally their job.
Remember, at best; these politicians are guilty of thinking of reelection, and at worst, they don’t give a fuck because they’re rich enough to fly to a place with clean air this week, and will be dead before the worst of the crisis kicks in.
These leaders knew better and did not do better. — they failed the people
The same could be said for legacy and corporate media in Canada, who heard what land defenders are experiencing but chose not to cover it in a way that might keep us informed as everyday working and middle-class people.
The media is also guilty of debating if climate change is real. Like they basically “good people on both sides” it – long after the evidence was crystal fucking clear. They gambled our future, for their ratings and whatever guise of neutrality they think they’re keeping. (yes, they are corporations. -but isn’t there supposed to be journalistic integrity? And maybe individual journalists do care, but the corporate fat cats won’t let them do anything - the point is, collectively, we were failed by the corporate legacy media.)
They also knew better but didn’t do better. — they failed the people
Now what about the everyday public?
Everyday people have different levels of responsibility depending on the level of power and privilege we have.
For example - can we hold a single mother, working minimum wage, caring for a toddler and managing her mental health without health benefits, to the same level of responsibility as a woman who is in a healthy relationship, raising two kids with her husband, has a strong social circle, health benefits and has enough money to make their needs met but not enough to be buying new “wants” every weekend?
We elected politicians to adequately advocate for us, and trusted that our media landscape would keep us informed and politicians honest — neither of these two groups did that. Nor have they owned their failings,
So for the vast majority of us plebs - even those of us that knew climate change was real - we were not kept apprised about it the way we should have been or had our interests prioritized the way they should have been.
So we didn’t “know better” (in comparison to politicians and the media), so it makes sense (to a degree) that we didn’t do better.
But in reading this, in inhaling air that was unhealthy this week, and in having lived through 215 children being recovered in Kamloops in 2021 – the public, especially those of you reading this, can no longer say we did not know better.
Now, at this moment here, we do know better, so the question is, are we going be like the media and our politicians and not do better…
Or are we gonna show those bitches how it’s done?
Because we hate to break it to you all, but in 100 years, we’re all dead, and if we haven’t helped mitigate and adapt to this crisis, future generations won’t remember that you, as an individual, donated to the Red Cross — they’ll look at our generation, as a collective, and our time on this planet, and see condemn us for failing them.
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A Starting Point To Getting It Done
(1) On Canada Project, and we hope you’ll join us, is rejecting any climate solution by the people who have been historically failing us, that does not comprehensively and inclusively and sustainably address the climate catastrophe we are currently in. Call us old fashion, but we like our air clean and safe to breathe.
Since we don’t feel that the vast majority of the politicians in Canada have our back (most politicians prioritize political party over public interest at best, and private side deals with corporations over public at worst) — the advocates we trust to take care of our planet is Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous peoples across Canada and the world, have been fighting alone to protect our planet for much longer than any Western climate activist group, and they have seen the most gains in protecting our planet (especially when you consider they did all this while facing land theft, systemic violence, physical violence (@ rcmp) and ongoing human rights violations). They aren’t just saying we need to protect the land; they put their bodies on the line to do so and have been successful.
(2) Of course, just asking Indigenous peoples to clean up the mess of European and Western nations is all sorts of gross, which means that working and middle class (and any rich people who want to get in on protecting the future) - both white people and non-Indigenous people of colour - must back them.
We must vote in solidarity with Indigenous peoples (vote, donate, show up beside - remember white bodies are protection in the face of police brutality -, trust, listen, support) with Indigenous peoples to collectively demand our governments stop colluding with the private sector (be it the fossil fuel industry, developers, etc.,) and actually start representing the public's interest.
(3) Commit to personal work. For the world we want - be it in this lifetime or in our descendant’s life time - shit has got to change. And that change begins with us as individuals. Depending on your power and privilege - you have an increased responsibility here – remember, power and privilege aren’t something you choose to have - what you do get to choose is what you do with it.
Immediate Next Steps:
(1) We’re asking you to sign up to be in our social good crew because we need a direct way to reach you, and social media feeds and their algorithms are not set up to allow for this type of content to go viral; so we’re asking you to join our social good crew because you, like us, are in this for the long haul.
Click here to find other ways to support the work we do and help us scale.
(2) These are the orgs you want to look into. Check Out their websites, follow their socials
(help us populate this list, DM or contact us with suggestions.
(3) Here are media sources and reporters and activists whose POV we trust
(help us populate this list, DM or contact us with suggestions.
Fatima Syed / currently at The Narwhal
Evy Kwong / currently at VICE
Check out our starting point to showing up in solidarity with Indigenous peoples at Settlers Take Action.
More from this accidental series
(1) 7 Things To Know When Air Quality Is Shit
(2) We're Angry At Politicians For 30 Years of Failing The Public
