Canada Day is this Saturday. Many people and communities across Canada will be gearing up for barbecues, fireworks and celebrations. That said, some people have called for the ‘cancellation’ of Canada Day for various reasons. Others have been reluctant to celebrate it. One of the most prominent reasons is the injustices Indigenous people have suffered in Canada and in many cases continue to suffer even today.
As I’ve said before, though, the idea of ‘cancelling’ Canada Day is incredibly problematic. It comes across as saying that Canadians can’t morally celebrate their family histories, their art and culture, their contributions to the world, many of the things who make them what they are. Those things are all as much a part of Canada as the racism and violence in its society.
There’s a better way, though. In his classic book The Unjust Society, Cree writer Harold Cardinal advised non-Native Canadians that if they really wanted to help Indigenous people, the best thing they could do is to send money. There are many Indigenous-led charity organizations working to make things right for their communities. If you feel you can’t celebrate Canada Day with a clear conscience, maybe supporting some of these organizations can change your mind. They can use all the help they can get:
The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (https://fncaringsociety.com/donate) works to help keep Indigenous children with their families and out of the foster care system. It also advocates for the physical and mental health of Indigenous children.
Indspire (https://indspire.ca/ways-to-give/) helps Indigenous university students pay for their education. Students that the program helps often use the skills they develop to benefit their communities, such as by providing healthcare or technical expertise.
The Indigenous Residential School Survivors Society (https://www.irsss.ca/donate) works to help survivors of the residential school system cope with the pain and issues they face due to the trauma the system inflicted on them. It also works to support missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as well as Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.
The Legacy of Hope Foundation (https://legacyofhope.ca/donate/) works towards reconciliation with Indigenous people by providing educational resources and workshops to help people learn not only about the impact of things like the residential school system, but more positive stories of strength and healing.
Reconciliation Canada (https://reconciliationcanada.ca/donate/) works to promote reconciliation among Canadians through discussion groups and public presentations about what exactly reconciliation should look like in Canada.
Obviously, none of us can fix everything overnight. There’s no magic wand anybody can wave. But by supporting Indigenous organizations like these, we can help work towards what Canada can be, and truly live up to the principles we often say Canada stands for.
It can also allow us to fly our flag and celebrate Canada Day with pride.
