As Canada marks 150 years since confederation there are still many problems with the country we call home.
Canada is a colonial state built on unceded native land. Since the arrival of europeans in the 1500s our legacy towards the indigenous population has been shameful. We have stolen land. We have forcibly removed children from First Nations communities without their parent’s consent. We have undertaken deliberate efforts to destroy indigenous languages, cultures and society. We attempted to wipe out, assimilate and destabilize indigenous communities with zero regard for their wellbeing. We lost all concept of sharing equality and respect towards the nations that welcomed us onto this continent. This is the legacy of colonization and the formation of the Canadian state.
Despite the change in tone by the prime minister, the Canadian government is continuing the colonization process and has done virtually nothing to put an end to the cultural genocide. Tens of thousands of aboriginal people and their communities do not have access to clean drinking water, adequate shelter or food. First Nations education, family care services and health care is severely underfunded in comparison to the level of service that canadians living outside of reservations enjoy.
Although many canadians do not feel directly responsible to this modern day oppression the fact of the matter is that we are all responsible for our government’s actions. We are all responsible for Justin Trudeau’s broken promises towards indigenous communities and we all bare our share of responsibility for correcting historical wrongs. We must all stand up to fight the deeply rooted racism, both individual and institutional that exists in this country. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to do so.
As canadians we should not be celebrating our nation until we have rebuilt our relationship with all nations who inhabit this land. These problems will not disappear on their own. We must all act now to build Canada into a more open, caring and egalitarian society. Until then, we have very little to celebrate. #Resist150
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Québec
