Tuesday, June 21 is National Indigenous People’s Day. It is an opportunity for all Canadians to reflect, learn, support, and participate in celebrations of Indigenous culture in our communities.

We have all been witness to the findings of unmarked potential graves of children who were forced to attend residential schools. Over 8000 unmarked graves have been located; the media has used the word “discovered” but Indigenous communities have always known they were there.

It is important to make that distinction. And it is important to bear witness to the legacy of forced assimilation. And it is important for all of us to take the time to reflect on what has been done to the Indigenous children, families, and communities of Canada and what is still being done.

The Indian Act is still in effect. Families are still being separated. Discrimination and prejudice still exist. At the same time, it is easier than ever to experience and enjoy Indigenous art and culture. There are Indigenous books to read, Indigenous stores to shop at, and Indigenous music to listen to.

National Indigenous People’s Day is an invitation and opportunity to think about and act upon the responsibilities we have.

Your responsibility…

First, it is our collective responsibility to have honest conversations with ourselves—to examine how privilege and power show up in our lives and how we utilize that power and privilege to help others and to hold people up. What barriers do Indigenous families or communities face that we might take for granted? What issues are most important to us? Whose stories inform our way of thinking?

Second, be accountable. Be accountable with your words, your thoughts, and your actions. It can be easy to identify how others need to change but harder to see our own flaws and prejudices and biases. Encourage others, ask for help, and admit when you slip up (we all slip up). Support those around you and let them support you as well. It is important that we do the work of reconciliation together—that we hold each other up.

Don’t know where to start? Here are some ideas for you:

Please don’t look away from the news or turn the TV off or put down the paper. Indigenous people have been unable to look away from these tragedies for centuries; they had to watch their kids get taken to residential schools. These are uncomfortable truths. You are going to have to feel uncomfortable.

Seek out the truth—the REAL truth. Dig a little deeper into your knowledge of Indigenous people in your community. Think about the “systems” and “laws” and “policies” directed at Indigenous peoples and communities. Are those services adequate, funded appropriately, and accessible? Do other systems treat Indigenous and non-Indigenous people the same?

Explore new ways of thinking and learn about Indigenous worldviews. How do different Indigenous communities think about parenting or the seasons? What do concepts like justice or history or storytelling look like from a different perspective? Suppressing Indigenous ways of knowing helped Canada’s colonial systems maintain power and control over Indigenous people. But learning about Indigenous worldviews lets you understand what it is like to be Indigenous in Canada AND helps bring back a little of what was lost.

What to do

National Indigenous People’s Day is also a celebration of Indigenous culture and there are lots of ways to participate and enjoy the celebrations in your community.

Indigenous Tourism BC has a growing list of events that are happening and there are many celebrations happening in local communities. Grab a bannock, listen to the drumming and singing and watch the dancing! (You can also learn about the Indigenous nations in the area you reside and the traditional names of those nations.)

If you are in the lower mainland, the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver has an exhibit called In a Different Light: Reflecting on Northwest Coast Art. Or, if you just want to chill out, relax and watch TV, check out CBC. There are a number of Indigenous movies, documentaries and short stories available to either download or watch. Future History is an excellent new show streaming on CBC. Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian explores the portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema.

Whatever you do, you are encouraged to use National Indigenous Peoples Day as an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous resiliency, art, achievements, and diversity through a lens of truth and reconciliation!

Riley McKenzie, Indigenous Advisor
riley@fcssbc.ca

Rebecca Lang, Associate Executive Director
rebecca@fcssbc.ca

The Federation’s presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

Every year, The Federation makes a submission and presents to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. These consultations are an opportunity for individuals and organizations to share their thoughts, ideas, and priorities regarding provincial services and funding decisions in next year’s budget.

This week, I stood before the committee and urged them to invest in addressing inequities for Indigenous organizations, invest in improving supports for children and families, and invest in the sustainability of our sector. Our three recommendations and an excerpt are below, but you can read the full text of our submission, recommendations, and supporting arguments on our website.

1. Continue to demonstrate a commitment to reconciliation and decolonization of social services by working to address funding inequities that exist for Indigenous, off-reserve service providers.
2. Continue to demonstrate a commitment to reconciliation and decolonization by making new investments in services and supports for children in care.
3. Continue to invest in the sustainability of the social services sector by addressing the rising cost of business pressures that organizations are facing and build this into base contract dollars.

“The chart above shows the rate of inflation in BC since 2000 (2002 = 100) according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The orange lines represent the change in contract funding for one Federation member’s youth residential program in the Fraser region from 2015 to 2022. Food is the only budget item where contract funding has even remotely kept up with program costs.

We believe a modest and fully supportable investment should be an immediate 5% baseline increase for all contracts. And future contracts should be indexed either to the rate of inflation or a comparable metric. Other models for indexing contracts and payments to keep up with the cost of living exist throughout the province. (For example, the UBC Staff Pension Plan payments increase at a rate of 50% of the change in the Consumer Price Index each year; BC’s Municipal Pension Plan increases based on the annual change in the CPI to a maximum of 2.1% for 2020-2022.) Such an investment is not only deserved but necessary and long overdue.”

Have Your Say

You can still participate in these budget consultations by providing written comments or by filling out the online survey between now and June 24th. Consider using the same recommendations as above. Contact us for past submissions that The Federation has made and use the same language, arguments, or key messages.

This government is listening and paying attention to our sector for the first time in a very long time and we must do our best to take advantage of opportunities like this. The entire Federation team is doing its very best to represent your interests and advocate on your behalf and if there is anything we can do to help you support and advocate for each other, please let us know.

Rick FitzZaland, Executive Director
rick@fcssbc.ca