Image provided by Kate Parkes at Elevation Pictures

Bones of Crows: Forced into residential school, Aline Spears is plunged into a fight for survival that shapes her family for generations

On Friday, June 2nd, 2023, a feature film premiered in Canadian theatres called Bones of Crows, depicting the true history of the residential school system. This is an important film for Canadians, especially Indigenous, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit. 

Conflicted on Canada Day: Being patriotic means owning ALL of our nation's history

Yesterday I visited parks & landmarks in Ottawa with significance to Indigenous communities; Pindigen Park, Chaudière Falls and Pangishimo Park, to collect trash and pay my respects. I planned to do this on Canada Day, however due to probable rain I decided to do it a day early. As I've learned more about the unsettling colonial history of Canada and the truth about the genocide and forced assimilation of Indigenous people these past few years I find Canada Day to be a conflicting holiday.

Commitment to truth and action: Their tiny voices woke the country 

They were the first of our nation. Caretakers of the land. Their voices were buried, but now they are heard. Their history is dark, deep, past, and present. I've been awakened. Indigenous voices. First Nations voices. Inuit voices. Metis voices. I want to hear you. I want to know.
 

National Indigenous Peoples Day: Children of residential schools were silenced and we need to speak up

The summer solstice arrived today with the rising sun. The sun also brought us National Indigenous Peoples Day, a holiday to recognize the contribution and celebrate the history, heritage, and culture of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. June is National Indigenous History Month but First Nations peoples have been on our minds since the sad discovery last month. The 215 children discovered buried at the Indian residential school (IRS) in Kamloops opened a wound for Canadians that has never healed for First Nations peoples; it's been festering. The history of the colonization of Canadian Indigenous people is a dark one, and there is no doubt new tragedies will be unearthed in the near future. I visited the memorial that has been created at Parliament in Ottawa to pay my respects to the lives lost in the IRS system. 

Water is life: Take action to help end drinking water advisories in First Nation communities 

We dip our toes in it. We listen to it rain down on our rooftops. We use it to brew our coffee, brush our teeth, wash our hands. Up to 60% of our bodies are made of it. Water is life. It's easy to take for granted because access to safe water is a basic human right. Or is it? The truth a little murkier. 61 indigenous communities in Canada are under water-boil advisories. They don't have clean water for drinking or sanitation, even though Canada is one of the most water-rich countries in the world. Some First Nation communities have lived with water advisories for more than a decade and are forced to boil water or use bottled water. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reassured these communities that he would end the water advisories by March 2021, which would be a great way to celebrate World Water Day. Sadly, we won't be celebrating because the Canadian government says that Covid-19 may delay its target deadline. To those First Nation communities, water is a reason to make waves and take action. It's something they long for. It's a need not being fulfilled. Ask yourself this: What does water mean to you?