Suggestions for July 1 - Canada Day

Jun 25

As we approach Canada Day 2021, the news coming from Indigenous communities is painful and a tragic reminder of destructive policies implemented by Canadian politicians. The ongoing confirmation of unmarked burial sites of children’s remains at the sites of former residential schools in British Columbia and across Canada has prompted a national pause to reflect, learn more about, and support Indigenous communities across the country. The road to reconciliation is long, and there is so much work to be done, and therefore, Museum staff have agreed that it's more appropriate this year to create respectful space instead of filling the sky with celebratory fireworks.

We love to celebrate Canada Day with our community, but instead of our usual events, we're choosing to highlight Indigenous-led local initiatives to support. Truth and reconciliation for Indigenous people throughout the country are a matter of human rights, and human rights are not political. As museums are not neutral, and the facts throughout the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work and subsequent reports are clear, we feel it is important to focus our attention and support to Indigenous voices and resources. In consultation with representatives of the Autonomous Sinixt, over the next few months, we will be sharing resources and some of the exciting projects they have been developing in their work towards Sinixt resurgence. The Rossland Museum is committed to sharing our history, hard stories and all, and we think that makes us all stronger and better. Canada is a great nation, but it can be better. To pause on July 1 and reflect on our history - warts and all - will help us to make positive changes and develop into a stronger, more equitable nation.

Assembly of First Nations’ Progress Report in 2020. Click for full PDF.

Rossland's Gold Fever Follies wanted to provide a statement today as the group is often called upon to sing the National Anthem on Canada Day.

The Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre is on Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ (homeland - pronounced tem-who-lau-h) - the Sinixt name for the Rossland area is klwist, meaning "up high" or "up in the hills." The Museum is committed to reconciliation and to developing a right relationship with the Autonomous Sinixt.

The Autonomous Sinixt have suggested a number of activities to do on July 1st, including:

1. Go to the water.

As Marilyn James, elder and smum iem Sinixt matriarch, often says: “We are all just big bags of water walking around. When we connect with water, we are connecting with ourselves.” The water is red on the Sinixt map of the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ because water is the blood of all life. Thank the water, spend time with the water, think about the importance of water in sustaining all life and what you can do to protect it for future generations.

2. Spend some time on decolonization.

There are multiple lists of materials out there on decolonization.
A recommendation: Decolonize First, a liberating guide & workbook by Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee
Read (Free PDF): Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization

3. Do nothing to celebrate colonialism.

Instead, contemplate what actions you can take to come into right relationship with Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ, water, and other beings in the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ. Spend time with family. Spend time being in gratitude, there is always something to be grateful for. One suggestion is to fill 1 pocket with small items (perhaps those pennies you don’t know what else to do with). Every time you feel dissatisfied, move one penny from your pocket. Notice how many times you think about dissatisfaction over gratitude. Decolonization is tough work, everyone has been colonized, settler and Indigenous alike, so we need to focus on things we can feel grateful for, even while doing the hard work of decolonization.

4. Learn more about Sinixt

Sinixt elder Eva Orr tells an important story of gratitude and Sinixt survival in the language birthed from this land. You can listen here or on youtube.
Read and listen to the stories in Not Extinct and learn more about the land in which you live. It is alive with stories that have meaning for all of us in the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ. Visit the Blood of Life Collective webpage. Check out some of the resources on the SinixtNation.org website. Check out the map of Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ and learn more about where you live.
Read Paula Pryce’s Keeping the Lakes’ Way (available in local libraries).

5. Have conversations with friends and family about actions you can take to work towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

More Resources:

Learn more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work or the subsequent National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
This interactive map will show you the locations of residential schools near your community
- The residential school system separated 150,000 Indigenous children from their families — and the last one closed in 1996. Was one of these schools in the community where you grew up?
Challenging Racist “British Columbia”: 150 Years and Counting
- Open-access, multi-media resource that documents how this recent cycle of anti-racist activism is part of a broader history of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities challenging white supremacy for over 150 years – particularly since 1871 when BC joined Canada.
It’s Our Time: The Assembly of First Nations Education Toolkit - A tool to bring together First Nations and non-First Nations people and foster a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and action.
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

More Ideas:

Seek out events hosted by Indigenous groups and attend those - there are many online opportunities across Canada
If you have supported the Museum’s Canada Day celebrations in the past, consider redirecting your donation to these organizations focused on reconciliation, revitalization, and resurgence:

Born from the vision of Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Gwawaenuk Elder, Reconciliation Canada is leading the way in engaging Canadians in dialogue and transformative experiences that revitalize the relationships among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians. Our model for reconciliation engages people in open and honest conversation to understand our diverse histories and experiences. We actively engage multi-faith and multi-cultural communities to explore the meaning of reconciliation. Together, we are charting a New Way Forward.

We at Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) strive to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual growth, development, and healing through culturally-based values and guiding principles for Survivors, Families, and Communities.

Rossland Museum