The Canadian dream left some of us behind
Diverse and prosperous — the dream left some out, says Arthur Cockfield
First came the First.
To the West, the Salish rejoiced as their nets pulled in salmon to feed their village. The Blackfoot of the plains waited out long winters beneath tanned furs, nourishing their families with dried meats and berries. Inland, the Odaawaa hunted beaver and traded skins. Far to the East, the Innu scraped mussels beneath jewelled ceilings of ice, hoping the hurricanes would not destroy their stocks entirely. Surrounding them were many others, among them Athapaskan, Cree, Slavey, Tsimshian, Haida, Nisga’a, Sarcee, Chipewyan, Algonquin, Huron and Mi’kmaq.
These were the original citizens of the land we now call Canada, a word from the Iroquoian word for village: Kanata. They and their ancestors lived in this place for thousands and thousands of years, lived in this place and harvested its bountiful land.
Indeed, they thrived within this near-unthinkably vast place.
Thousands of pine-encircled fresh water lakes. Towering glacier-tipped mountains and fertile plains. Northern lands and seas covered with ice much of the year, but lifesustaining nonetheless for a resilient people. A limitless space with boundless possibilities.
Just as the land is rich and varied, so are the Indigenous peoples of this place, a diversity of regional and local culture that defies categorization.
In time, new voices would join the traditional ones. First French. Then English.
They were followed by waves of migrants. While some came for the sheer adventure, others escaped poverty, famine, tyranny and a thousand other ills that drive people to search for hope on an alien shore. Eventually every tongue from every corner of the globe would be heard in this place.
Together the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples would do extraordinary things. They would co-found a nation that, within its original compact, gave distinct legal rights to many Indigenous peoples. When darkness threatened from overseas, they sailed to war, both those who descended from newcomers and descendants of the original inhabitants. Over one hundred thousand of these sons and daughters would perish in foreign battles in defence of this place.
The sacrifice and endurance of hardships of earlier generations drove a deep commitment to the aspirational value of decency. To respect differences among neighbours, including diverse religious beliefs and creeds. To live in a place bound by the rule of law and a great Charter, where the vulnerable are protected against abuse and discrimination, where all men and women are equal.
Together they would build one of the most diverse, fair, equal and prosperous countries in the history of the world.
And yet, in the story of this place, the dream did not extend to all.
Since the arrival of the first migrants, the struggles included violence from the newcomers against the original peoples. Even at Canada’s very founding, the federal government adopted policies of famine to drive individuals from their traditional lands.
More horrors would follow. Generations were subjected to laws and policies of forced cultural assimilation and extermination. Children were wrenched from their mothers and fathers and placed in faraway schools to live out desperate lives, or die. So many families were shattered.
And today in too many parts of this place, the plight of the First remains dire.
Placing Indigenous history front and centre reminds us of this place’s true origin story, and how the arc of our national story is interwoven with Indigenous contributions and culture. Understanding past abuse allows us to see the urgent need to address present-day inequities. History also teaches us that bending this arc toward justice for Indigenous peoples represents the greatest political and legal challenge of our time.
In recent years, a national conversation has begun to try to change part of the story.
On Canada’s birthday, we can be grateful for these ongoing efforts at reconciliation, and the building of new ties of mutual recognition and respect.