Indigenous Allyship: How to Build a Better Future
(Image Credit: Andreas Wagner on Unsplash)
June is National Indigenous History Month, but the fight to create equality and right the wrongs of the past is a constant one.
History should not be repeating itself. Individuals from Indigenous communities have sadly been subject to hate and crime for far too long and it‘s time to stop this.
Recently, the remains of 215 Indigenous children as young as three years old were discovered in a mass unmarked grave on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia and the horrors of residential schools still follow many people of the Indigenous community today. Additionally, back in September an Atikamekw woman by the name of Joyce Echaquan in Joliette, Quebec died in her hospital bed while being insulted, belittled and sworn at by the hospital staff. On top of this, there also exists the history of many missing and murdered Indigenous women (and people) and sadly this still continues today.
So why isn’t there more awareness and exposure of the horrible past? Even today, why isn’t there more understanding of the harm faced by Indigenous Peoples? Our Indigenous brothers and sisters have been hurting for too long.
Canada’s dark past is the reason why everyone needs to do better.
Here are a few ways you can show your solidarity to break the cycle, move towards allyship and create equality instead.
1. Research the land you’re living on
The land in Canada is all Indigenous land, so becoming aware of the land you’re living on is one of the first steps in understanding who the land belongs to and more information about it. To find out whose land you are living on, Native Land is a resource that can help you discover this. Type in your address and the map will show you the land and which Indigenous peoples lived on the land first. Native Land also has added links to read more about the culture.
When doing an acknowledgement go beyond the basic, research the land you are working or living on and make the Land Acknowledgement more meaningful and honourable.
Along with this, in terms of the land, another way to show support is to help protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to live on, protect, and oversee their land. As said by Jennifer Skene from Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) :
“In Canada, like around the world, while policymakers have failed to rein in the industries driving unsustainable ecosystem loss and climate change, Indigenous Peoples have led the way on managing and stewarding the lands they have called home for millennia.” - Jennifer Skene
By protecting the land and having these Indigenous-led projects, Indigenous communities can be empowered to determine the futures of their own lands. Indigenous-led stewardship is also a way that influences protecting the planet while giving back land rights to Indigenous communities as well.
2. Donate to Indigenous charities
Donating to Indigenous Charities promotes the wellness of Indigenous communities. By donating you are showing your support and solidarity to the community. Donating will also help communities to afford resources they may not have access to without proper funding and this way of support of the Indigenous community is one of the best ways to help.
There are many charities in Canada that you can donate to. Some examples are:
You can also see the charities and organizations that are available in your nation or even in your Province by going to CanadaHelps. CanadaHelps lists every charity in your selected area and gives you the opportunity to donate to them all in one place.
3. Support content by Indigenous creators
Another way to educate yourself on Indigenous cultures is to watch content and read resources by Indigenous creators. There are many films, books, music, and even social media influencers who aim to raise awareness and bring to light the stories of their past and people through their media. When you look into other people’s cultures, you become informed and exposed to different aspects of the world that you never knew even existed.
The National Film Board of Canada is a great place to look for Indigenous films because they give you a glimpse into the lives and experiences of those from the Indigenous community. There are also podcasts like The Residential Schools podcast series by Historica Canada and hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais as well as resources to read more about Indigenous history.
You can find additional resources about Indigenous History here.
4. Amplify the Indigenous voice
Raising Awareness is the most effective way to ensure that Indigenous voices get heard. There are many Indigenous influencers and activists on social media and sharing their content amplifies their voices. For example, there are many TED Talks on YouTube, like “Indigenous in Plain Sight” by Gregg Deal, that show the perspective of having a family member grow up in residential schools and the post-traumatic stress they have experienced from it. By sharing these stories to your employees, family, and friends, it brings these issues and discrimination into the open. By talking about the challenges and raising awareness, you can help to create solutions for the future. It’s time to move forward so that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Also, many influencers like Marika Sila on Instagram are raising awareness by using their social media platforms to educate the public on Indigenous culture while also calling out and correcting those who discriminate against the Indigenous community. By sharing content from Indigenous creators you can raise awareness, be informed, and also help to create change.
5. Use a Toolkit on how to be an ally
Toolkits can be a great guideline on how to implement good strategies to be an ally to Indigenous Peoples in and out of the workplace. Toolkits offer steps that everyone can take to eliminate discrimination and promote equality. For example, the “Indigenous Ally Toolkit” from a Montreal non-profit called the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network breaks down how to be an ally to the Indigenous community in 3 steps. The 3 steps are to be critical of any motivations, to start learning, and to act accordingly.
By following these three steps you too can move towards being an ally. The developer of the kit, Dakota Swiftwolfe, created the kit with the hope that people can be self critical and raise that level of self awareness while also eliminating any ignorance. Most of the time ignorance comes from the fact people don’t know what’s considered rude and what isn’t. Using a toolkit can help to educate and eliminate ignorance, so it’s a beneficial resource to have in any environment.
There are many action steps you can take to show your solidarity and become an ally to the Indigenous community. One of the first steps is to do research into Canada’s past. The Indigenous community deserves as much respect as anyone else, so being an ally means supporting the Indigenous community even when National Indigenous History Month is over. The plight continues for many Indigenous communities and it’s time to move forward with reconciliation and restoration alongside them.