National Indigenous History Month 2022

Photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash

June is National Indigenous History Month. It is a time for Indigenous Peoples to celebrate their history with pride and to pass down their cultures, languages, and protocols to the next generation. For non-Indigenous people, it is a month to recognize, learn about, and honour the diverse histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada. 

Indigenous Peoples in Canada continue to face injustice and systemic discrimination. Examples include a lack of drinkable water on reserves and high poverty rates among Indigenous communities. The legacy of Residential School system also continues to impact communities through intergenerational trauma.

This month is also Pride Month, a month to celebrate LGBTQ+ rights and recognize the injustice LGBTQ+ individuals and communities face every day. Indigenous philosophies of the Two-Spirit, which are persons who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit, have contributed greatly to the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ rights movement.

Through learning and appreciating Indigenous contributions, we can all play a part in the journey towards reconciliation. 

To learn more, we have provided some resources below.

Events 

• Indigenous Leadership Webinar

• Alberta NIHM Events

Resources & Organisations 

• 35 books to read for National Indigenous History Month 

• A Brief and Brutal History of Canadian Colonialism 

• About Canadian Inuit

• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

• Discover Indigenous culture and history along the TransCanada Trail 　

• Downie and Wenjack Fund

• History of 2 Spirit　

• Metis Nation of Ontario

• Not in the past: Colonialism is rooted in the present 

• Talk 4 Healing

New Federal Holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Last updated 9/27/22.

haida artist tamara bell’s memorial for the 215 indigenous children who died at KAMLOOPS residential school, on the steps of the vancouver art gallery. Photo by Sonya Romanovska on Unsplash.

Update — Orange Shirt Day event on Sept. 30, 2021 at 12pm at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (previously the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza).

On September 30 at 12pm, visit šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square for a free performance, Xweýene:msta:m ?əkwəsqwel, seýeḿ (call to witness/listen to respected one), in honour of Orange Shirt Day.

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The federal government has recently passed legislation making September 30 a federal holiday: the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Government of British Columbia has also recognized this holiday, though not as a statutory holiday, but most schools, post-secondary institutions, some health sector workplaces, and Crown corporations will be closed.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation comes as a response to Call to Action #80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Actions (2015). It is a day to recognize and learn more about the history of the residential school system, its part in Canada’s colonial history, and its ongoing impacts on Indigenous peoples.

80. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

—Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

Orange Shirt Day

Since 2013, we have observed September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, which was started by Phyllis Webstad, activist and residential school survivor.

When Phyllis was six-years-old, she wore an orange shirt given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school, only to have it, and the rest of her clothes, taken away upon her arrival. Watch Phyllis’ story here and read more about the significance of the orange shirt and the movement Phyllis has inspired here.

During the week leading up to and on September 30, we will be recognizing Orange Shirt Day. We encourage you to take the day to learn more and reflect.

If you are interested in showing support and donning orange, we encourage you to purchase your orange shirts from Indigenous shops and organizations, or vendors that directly support Indigenous peoples. Please see a list of vendors under “Resources” below.

Resources

Content warning: Many of these websites and sources deal with sensitive and disturbing content. If you or someone you know needs support, there are 24-hour crisis lines available:

1-866-925-4419 (First Nations Health Authority Residential School Crisis Line)

1-800-721-0066 (Indian Residential School Survivors Society Crisis Line)

Websites

• Indigenous Foundations

• Orange Shirt Day

• Where Are the Children?

Videos & Documentaries

• My Auntie survived residential school. I need to gather her stories before she’s gone (CBC Docs)

• Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline (Historica Canada)

• Stolen Children: Residential School Survivors Speak Out (CBC News)

Articles & Documents

• “Survivor: The story of Phyllis Webstad and Orange Shirt Day” by Lisa Charleyboy (Canadian Geographic)

• “The past is not the past for Canada's Indigenous peoples” (The Lancelet editorial)

• “The Residential School System” by Erin Hanson, Daniel P. Gamez & Alexa Manuel (Indigenous Foundations)

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports

Orange Shirts

Indigenous owned and operated vendors, and vendors that support Indigenous creators, for orange shirts. If we are missing anything that you would like to see added, please let us know!

Make sure to check the “About” or “FAQ” page of any source you visit when purchasing orange shirts.

• Our Feather

• She Native

• Skwachàys Lodge

• Victoria Orange Shirt Day

• Woodland Cultural Centre

• Alano Edzerza

• Bill Reid Gallery

• Moonstone Creation

• Native Northwest

• Okema

• Orange Shirt Society

We are settlers living, working, and playing on the stolen, unceded, and traditional lands of the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2021

‘Welcoming Figure’ by artist Sequiliem (Stan Joseph) was a gift from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) First Nation to West Vancouver. Photo by Vince Lee on Unsplash.

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Today, and this entire National Indigenous History Month, we commemorate the 25th annual National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a time to celebrate and honour Indigenous peoples and their histories, experiences, and stories.

Indigenous people had called for a day of solidarity for over a decade before June 21 was finally declared National Aboriginal Day in 1996. June 21, the summer solstice, is a significant day for many Indigenous peoples.

This day and month are not just a time to celebrate, but a time for us settlers to educate ourselves and reflect on our connections to settler colonialism and the stolen lands we live on. Additionally, and arguably most importantly, it’s a time to give our support Indigenous people, and their movements and organizations.

If you’re wondering where to begin, we have compiled some resources below:

Learn and Reflect

• Sign up for Indigenous Canada — a free course offered by the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

• Read the ‘In Plain Sight’ report, an investigation into anti-Indigenous discrimination in B.C. health care. Read an overview of the report from UBC.

• Explore Native Land and learn the land you’re on.

• Read about the Residential School System. Follow @IRSSurvivor on Twitter.

• Learn about Canadian treaties and agreements.

• Learn how to write meaningful land acknowledgements.

• Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report.

Articles:

• “Fairy Creek blockade: What you need to know about the anti-logging protest in B.C.” by Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail.

• “What are land acknowledgements and why do they matter?” by Selena Mills, Local Love.

• “What we mean when we say Indigenous land is ‘unceded’” by Emma McIntosh, National Observer.

• “Why Orange Shirt Day is personal for this 11-year-old from B.C.” CBC Kids News.

Listen to Indigenous Voices

• Twitter: @apihtawikosisan, @Blightyboo, @Danishinaabe, @davidnbparent, @jessewente, @Joyhenderson78, @KanahusFreedom, @Khelsilem, @LeahGazan, @LeeShingoose, @MumilaaqQaqqaq, @Napaaqtuk, @rjjago, @reallythekidd, @RMComedy, @SaveFairyCreek, @tuckeve

• Instagram: @2braidzikwe, @fairycreekblockade, @indigenousclimateaction, @Ndncollective, @rainforestflyingsquad, @takaiya.blaney

• Indigenous TikTok-ers

Chances are that your local nation has its own social media account, so make sure to search for and keep up with them!

Show Support

Support Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, businesses, and movements.

• Arts: Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada

• Environment: Resources to help fight old growth logging in B.C.

• Land Back: Learn about and support the #LandBack movement.

• Orange shirts:

  • Okema

  • Orange Shirt Society

  • She Native

  • Victoria Orange Shirt Day

  • Woodland Cultural Centre

Consider this list as a place to begin, as it is by no means exhaustive.

We are settlers living, working and playing on the stolen, unceded, and traditional lands of the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.