An all-out celebration of Canada Day would be 乌鸦传媒渄isrespectful乌鸦传媒� this year.
That乌鸦传媒檚 because something significant has shifted since hundreds of unmarked graves were found so far in B.C. and Saskatchewan, according to Wenona Hall, associate professor in Indigenous Studies at University of the Fraser Valley (UFV).
乌鸦传媒淚 think in general Canada Day has always been a bit of a challenge 乌鸦传媒� and a contradiction 乌鸦传媒� for Indigenous people,乌鸦传媒� Hall said. 乌鸦传媒淐anada hasn乌鸦传媒檛 treated us very well, so there are mixed feelings about it.乌鸦传媒�
With more Canadians embracing harsh truths about residential schools and how the system impacted survivors and their families over many generations, it could be time to reframe the institutions set up to destroy Indian culture.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 think we should be calling them 乌鸦传媒榮chools乌鸦传媒� at all,乌鸦传媒� Hall said. 乌鸦传媒淎t best they were child labour camps, and at worst they were death camps.乌鸦传媒�
The UFV associate professor acknowledged that乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒渟trong language乌鸦传媒� to describe the government-sanctioned, church-run institutions 乌鸦传媒渂ut the very least we can do for the survivors of this genocide is to start speaking the truth.乌鸦传媒�
The ground-penetrating radar used by local First Nations to find the unmarked graves of the 215 souls in Kamloops has led to a broader national sense of shared loss.
乌鸦传媒淲e have always known about the lost children. That is where the paradigm shift is taking place, now that Canadians have concrete evidence.乌鸦传媒�
Her auntie told her they shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 be thinking about the unmarked graves as a 乌鸦传媒榙iscovery乌鸦传媒� but as a 乌鸦传媒榬ecovery乌鸦传媒� instead.
Flags were lowered to half mast across Canada when the news came out.
乌鸦传媒淭hat was respectful. It showed we are mourning and that we are hearing the truth.乌鸦传媒�
It乌鸦传媒檚 beyond sad it had to come to this point.
乌鸦传媒淲e are all humans. We can relate to that terrible loss, and recovery of these children. So many Canadians are mourning with us too,乌鸦传媒� Hall added.
So instead of opting for a rah-rah celebration, Hall recommends that folks take the day on July 1 to educate themselves about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and review the 94 Calls to Action, meant to 乌鸦传媒渞edress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.乌鸦传媒�
They could lower their Canadian flags to half mast, and while they乌鸦传媒檙e at it, flying alongside the maple leaf could be the flag of the First Nation whose land the flag is on, she suggested.
Canadians could even wear their orange shirts instead of red and white on Canada Day, and do a little research to ensure they know the story behind Orange Shirt Day.
乌鸦传媒淲e could celebrate Indigenous people instead,乌鸦传媒� Hall said, adding it乌鸦传媒檚 a good time to raise levels of awareness, education and social justice.
乌鸦传媒淚f we are sincere about reconciliation, Canadians need to take the time to learn what it is that we are trying to reconcile.乌鸦传媒�
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