Canadians must face our racism here at home

It’s nice to see people starting to care. To see people uniting for the human right to exist equally.

In Canada, people are acting like they give a crap because of the injustices we’re watching penetrating so loudly into our collective consciousness through the murder of George Floyd.

I’m thankful Black voices are rising up and the world is taking notice. It’s long overdue.

Now, what does it take for Canadians to express the same kind of passion for First Peoples? What does it take for governments, who have power and money, to invest to help change the narrative of systemic racism in Canada?

The demonstrations happening in the United States and around the world in response to racism could be a catalyst for systemic transformation. It’s an inspiration for many people who are oppressed — specifically for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, who deal with some of the worst effects of racism in the world.

I note many people up here in the Great White North acted shocked by the brutality of police officers murdering a Black man. It was as if racism existed in a far-off land or was something foreign to them. But it’s here in Canada on such a large scale and has been since this country was founded.

Indigenous people are scared for their lives every day due to racism. Do you know the story of Colten Boushie; Cindy Gladue; or Neil Stonechild? That’s only a few who fell victim to death by racism — look them up.

Our people are afraid. There is no justice here. They’re also fed up with racism. Done with being racially profiled, being targeted for violence and discrimination. When I’m alone, driving in the country here in Alberta I get afraid that if my vehicle ever broke down and I needed help I would be targeted/killed because I look Native. It’s one of my worst nightmares to get stranded in an area inhabited by white farmers.

This is real life when you’re Indigenous. Maybe some people are in denial. They turn their heads back to their ignorant, comfortable lives in the safety of their privileged communities.

Was the revealing of the horrors of the residential school system through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission enough? The federal government and all its institutions sought out Indigenous children to steal their identity through the wiping-out of their culture and attempted genocide. Was it enough that thousands upon thousands of children were brutally molested, physically assaulted, verbally and emotionally abused and condemned because of the colour of their skin? Was hearing the broken stories of the victims who mostly stumbled around lost and drunk afterward, who had their children taken from them because they were robbed of connection to family life — was that enough?

Are the suicides of First Nations youth — at 6.2 times the rate of other Canadians and 23.9 per cent higher for Inuit — enough?

What about other crises, such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)? Was seeing the face of a child, Tina Fontaine, and watching authorities removing her body from the Red River enough?

But this is a pandemic — a pandemic of racism that’s killing and has killed many more people in this country than COVID-19.

Systemic racism exists in educational systems, justice systems, child welfare, health care, employment, industry, institutions, and all levels of governments, because Canada is a colonial country founded on colonial principles.

Racism is high on the radar of people’s minds right now because of the injustices and demonstrations we’re seeing in the United States. For many here, especially Indigenous Peoples, those actions are providing inspiration for them: that there’s hope; they can stand for justice, be heard and seen.

Our people have stood up before. Remember

Idle No More? How about the Wet’suwet’en crisis that shut down this country for weeks just a few months ago? Momentum is building.

Lately, we are seeing more solidarity from white people’s allyship, which is important because unity is powerful.

I hope Canada has finally had enough of its own racism. Let’s keep talking about it, keep confronting it. What’s it going to take to stop? Well, we can start by the decolonizing of our society. Not sure what that means? It means creating a society that doesn’t disproportionally enable a group of people to succeed over the other.

What if governments funded supports for communities to heal and connect with each other? What if hate speech, particularly online, was taken seriously and penalties given to people who spread racist agendas?

Imagine the economic impacts for the better if society invested in education and reconciliation instead of pumping money into the oppression of our vulnerable communities?

We don’t want a George Floyd repeat. If people care so much about racism abroad, it’s time to also care at home.