“Why are we being punished for something we didn’t even do?”
Everyone has a role to play in reconciliation, whether they played a direct role in the atrocities against Indigenous people or not. If you live in Canada and are not Indigenous, you are a settler who benefits from colonialism and reconciliation IS your responsibility.
Why is this racist?
Acknowledging Canada’s harmful policies and practices against Indigenous people such as residential schools, loss of lands, inequitable access to essential services, and prohibition of cultural traditions and languages, etc. is vital to reconciliation. (Source)
Whether you are a first, second, or third generation Canadian, or maybe you lost count, you and your family settled on the traditional lands of Turtle Island’s many Indigenous Nations. (Source) You directly benefit from colonization, and harm that has been inflicted on Indigenous people. If you live in Canada, you have a role to play in the inequities Indigenous communities face as a result of colonialism.
As the Canadian Human Rights Commission writes, “Reconciliation must involve teaching everyone about the atrocities that took place in residential schools. It is our past. It is our present. It is our shame.”
We have a shared responsibility to acknowledge, understand and move forward together. (Source) To try and absolve guilt or responsibility because you did not directly harm Indigenous communities is not anti-racist.
Additional Resources related to this Statement
- Reconciliation Canada
- Markham Public Library – “Why everyone has a role to play in reconciliation”
- Indigenous Corporate Training – “What reconciliation is and what is it not”
- Canadian Human Rights Commission – “We all have a responsibility for reconciliation”
- Laurier Campus – “Reconciliation is for everyone”
- On Canada Project – Settlers Take Action