#CancelCanadaDay
Ten things you can do instead of celebrating Canada Day
‘Canada Day’ was created in 1982 to replace ‘Dominion Day’, which was a celebration of the British imperial project and confederation. In a practical sense, confederation marked the end to any (bogus) claims of ‘nation to nation’ agreements between colonial settlers and indigenous groups. More broadly, the creation of this country was a project of violence, land theft, dispossession and ongoing genocide towards Indigenous peoples.
As Robert Jago of the Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe explains “The Canadian state…is not something that should be celebrated. Canada Day is the birthday of a child abuser, a human trafficker — a state that committed these crimes itself, and that recruited churches to help it, as part of its scheme to murder a culture and seize the inheritance of generations.”
For white settlers in this country, the urge to separate ourselves from this history is strong! As a nation, we love to tell stories about how violent American white supremacy is, as a way to separate ourselves from our own legacies of colonial violence and slavery, as well as to distance ourselves from the ever present racism, colonialism and widespread hate that this country is made of.
On this July 1st we recognize the important links between nation-building myths of the Canadian state and the persistence of white supremacy in this country, displayed by the so-called ‘freedom convoy’ last year, the further legitimization of far right views in mainstream politics, and the growth of a virulent anti-trans movement that draws on a “Save Canada” rhetoric while espousing hate and violence. This country relies on obscuring violence - both as a way of erasing our history, and as a way to legitimize ongoing land and resource theft, violence to Indigenous women and girls, and widespread racist attitudes, policies and programs. A white supremacist logic is what allows Canadians to utter the words “reconciliation” as unmarked grave after unmarked grave is uncovered.
Learn about the cancel Canada day movement! At SURJ, we believe that white folks have an active role to play in calling in our family, friends and community – try using July 1st as an opportunity to start a conversation about the dangerous myths behind this celebration and this country! Show up for the Native Arts Society Anti-Colonial Celebration on July 1st. You can check out these resources from Idle No More, Pam Palmater, Six Nations of the Grand River, the On Canada Project, and more. #CancelCanadaDay #CancelCanada
Support Grassy Narrows in their ongoing struggle for justice! Sign this petition telling Doug Ford No Mining On Anishinaabe Territory! Sign up for the Grassy Narrows Newsletter. You can also share that message and petition on Grassy’s socials Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Save the date September 27th for a land defence alliance march in Toronto to stand up to Doug Ford’s pro-mining government. Keep an eye on Grassy Narrows socials for updates and details.
Wet’suwet’en land defenders have called on settlers across so-called Canada to target the funders of the Coastal GasLink pipeline – which includes some of the biggest financial institutions in the country! SURJ Toronto is taking part in a coordinated campaign to demand that RBC stop funding climate destruction and violations of Indigenous rights by applying pressure from the ground up – check out Decolonial Solidarity for more info on getting involved! #RBCIsKillingMe #NoMoreDirtyBanks
Amplify and support rad local Indigenous organizing, such as Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction, No More Silence and Native Arts Society!
Move money to Indigenous Land Defence projects, such as Free Grassy Narrows, 1492 Land Back Lane, Gidimt’en Checkpoint, Unist’ot’en Camp, or Neskantaga Strong!
Wear an orange shirt to show your support for residential school survivors. Native Arts Society are selling them online. You can also donate to the Orange Shirt Society or the Indigenous Residential School Survivors Society.
Learn more about the history of Canadian colonialism and genocide. Educate yourself about residential schools, check out this book list, and follow these vital prompts for action-oriented learning.
Support and celebrate Indigenous art, culture, literature, and music! If you’re looking for somewhere to start, here are some recommendations from our members: Tanya Tagaq, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Lisa Boivin, Cherie Dimaline, Billy-Ray Belcourt, Leanne Simpson, Chris Derkson, Christi Belcourt, and Jeremy Dutcher.
If you are attending a ‘Canada day’ celebration use this post to start a conversation with at least 2 other people! At SURJ we believe that white folks have an active role to play in calling in our family, friends and community - try using the information here to begin a chat about abandoning the myths of this day (and Canada more broadly! #CancelCanadaDay #CancelCanada