July 1st is usually a day of celebration in Canada. This year Canada Day has left many rethinking what it means to be Canadian, especially from a First Nations perspective.

In past celebrations, the day has been associated with the independence of Canada from British rule and is often used to highlight nationalism and celebrate unity in the country. Last year, the spectre of COVID caused Canada Day celebrations to be cancelled and many embraced it as a time for reflection when gathering in public had been prohibited. It was hoped that this year, things would be better and the country could once again display its national pride and gather its citizens in unifying celebrations.

Then a ghost from the past reared its ugly head. Canada, a country perceived to be free and welcoming, with its squeaky clean global image and promises of fairness for all got a rude awakening. As the country was preparing to celebrate, the discovery of mass graves in various residential schools across the land came to light. A horrible event from the past was screaming for attention coming from the graves of school children who had been victims of a failed system.

Anyone living close to first nations communities knows all to well about the atrocities that were committed in those early days. Much like the apartheid system in South Africa, families were torn apart, forced to live on reserves. Mandatory boarding schools were established under the government’s department of Indian Affairs in an effort to remove indigenous children from their own culture. These schools were often placed away from communities making it difficult for parents to see their children, made even harder by the fact that a pass was required for travel off the reserves.

Years later , in 2015, a TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) report concluded that the residential school system was a major contributor to what was essentially cultural genocide. Churches have also come under fire for their role in not only helping to reprogram young indigenous people but in failing to provide proper care for the health and safety of the students. This year in particular has raised that awareness to a new level with the discoveries of gravesites on the grounds of these schools. Speculation surrounds the causes of the deaths of the many children buried on these sites and in some cases proper death certificates do not exist. 

Across the country there have been calls to cancel Canada Day, motivated by the acknowledgement of the pain and despair that many feel in light of these recent discoveries. Kim Krause from Schreiber Media Centre travelled to the First Nations community of Pays Plat to try and gain perspective on what this years Canada Day means, and, if a celebration of unity is acceptable when there is clearly division among the population.

People facing a crisis often feel the need to retreat and seek solitude while they reflect and try to heal. Celebrations, on the other hand, are often used to share joy and pride in the company of others. This year, not everyone is in the mood for celebrating and perhaps Canada Day can be reworked in a way that allows all citizens  to reflect upon the diversity and freedoms that we sometimes take for granted while honouring the personal histories of every inhabitant of our country.