"I
would never tell somebody what to and what not to celebrate. You know, in 2021,
we all inherited this. Nobody today created residential schools. Nobody today
created the Indian Act. Nobody today created the Sixties Scoop. But we all
inherited this. And if we want to say we're proud Canadians, then we will
accept the beautiful country we have today, and we will accept what we all
inherited. And what I would challenge is: Everybody on Canada Day in this country,
if you say you're a proud Canadian, read the Truth and Reconciliation 'Calls to
Action.' Over 100,000 residential school survivors told their story - including
my parents - and they created the Truth and Reconciliation 'Calls to Action.'
Bring that into your personal life, your social life, your business life. And
read the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 'Calls to Action.'
There's 231 Calls to Action. If we can all own those a little bit in this
country, in one generation we would overcome so many challenges today, that our
next generation won't inherit this. We will make them more as Dreamers."
Written
by Tom Frazer,
"Bow your head in sadness, not shame. You didn’t write the laws that made these places. You didn’t run the churches that made these decisions. Your (mine too) government did. Old dead prime ministers did. Old dead popes, priests preachers and nuns did.
The
country we live in was founded in exploitation, murder, genocide and thievery.
But EVERY country in the world is. You didn’t know about these children because
the government didn’t want you to know. I’m a conservative minded person, but
thank god for liberals."
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| From The Internet - Indigenous Canada Flag |
Powerful words indeed.
ReplyDeleteHappy Canada Day!
ReplyDeleteWell posted.
ReplyDeleteHappy Canada Day! 🇨🇦
ReplyDeleteBoth are powerful pieces of writing.
What eloquent pieces. The words from Tom Frazer tell such truth.
ReplyDeleteWords to live by. Thanks for putting things in perspective for us with these thoughtful quotes, Mary Lou
ReplyDeleteWe will all have to deal with this one way or another. I have never understood what the expression "proud Canadian" means. How does one become a "proud Canadian"? I simply am Canadian, neither proud nor otherwise. I am very proud of actions my country has taken - peacekeeping, for example, Lloyd Axworthy's efforts to rid the world of landmines, our welcoming of refugees - and I am dismayed and disgusted at others. The treatment of these children in residential schools, and their unreported deaths is a terrible, terrible blot on the nation. Certainly not what would make one a "proud Canadian".
ReplyDeleteAcknowledging what happened in the past and striving for a better future - it's something we all have to do, isn't it?
ReplyDelete