The 51st State and A Reconciliation Moment

Some days it really feels like the whole world is going crazy. The economy is sputtering amidst trade wars and tariffs, there is a renewed interest in separatist sentiment in Alberta, we have a new federal government, and the President of the United States wants to make us the 51st State.  

What does this have to do with reconciliation and the colonization experience?

Take a moment to look at Merriam-Webster, which defines colonization, in part, as: 

“An act or instance of colonizing: such as:

- The establishing of a colony: subjugation of a people or area especially as an extension of state power [...] the act or practice of appropriating something that one does not own or have a right to
-The state of being colonized: subjugation by a foreign power” ¹

Does the President’s ongoing discussion of annexing Canada sound familiar? Looking around at the flags outside of homes and businesses, the widespread “Buy Canadian” messaging, and the drop in travel to the USA, I think Canadians are seeing and feeling a small sense of colonization right now. This makes the idea to make Canada the 51st state very interesting from a reconciliation perspective. 

In other words, these reactions are arising out of a proposed “subjugation by a foreign power” that is currently promoting the idea of “appropriating something that [it] does not own or have a right to.” As a country, we are experiencing a foreign power looking to subjugate both the Canadian people and land as an extension of state power. The President of the United States wants our land and resources because he believes that we aren’t using them to the highest and best potential. 

All this, and Canada as a country is still in the midst of its national reconciliation journey and contending with its own history of colonization. In recent years, we’ve had the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, ² and many of them had a component of Indigenous awareness to them. Residential School survivors have asked Canadians to learn about the history of colonization, residential schools, the Indian Act, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

I think it was vital for survivors to ask this of Canadians. I believe that learning and knowing history is necessary so that we won’t repeat it. A critical part of Indigenous awareness is understanding and empathizing with peoples who have been colonized, and arriving at a place of more empathy and perspective. Learning about Indigenous history, culture, traditions, and experiences is fundamental to true understanding and reconciliation.

Indigenous Peoples are an integral part of the country, and always have been. Canadians reside on traditional lands that Indigenous Peoples have lived on since time immemorial. Indigenous Peoples have survived centuries of colonization and subjugation; what Canadians are feeling now is only a small echo of that. I urge you to take the fear and anger you may be feeling, and instead turn it into empathy and motivation to build a better world for all, and for our next seven generations.³  

Now, more than ever, it’s important to listen to and elevate Indigenous voices. Listen and learn about Indigenous history – not just the dark side, that of colonization and subjugation, but also stories of resistance, endurance, and tradition. 

Residential school survivors started the call for truth and reconciliation, and it is up to us to keep the reconciliation journey going. 

So What Else Can We Do?

• Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.⁴
• Take Indigenous Awareness training to learn an overview of Indigenous history and issues and build a knowledge base.
• Buy Indigenous to Buy Canadian: buy from legitimate Indigenous-owned businesses. Use the CCIB’s directory to find certified Indigenous businesses and organizations.
• Learn about the role of Indigenous procurement in economic reconciliation.
• Volunteer at your local Friendship Centre. 
• Pick one of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and pursue the prescribed action.
• Support your local Indigenous communities and learn their native languages. 
• Donate to Indigenous charities and organizations.
• Take Indigenous Consultation and Engagement training in order to effectively participate in the government's recent push toward more Indigenous partnerships within their infrastructure fast-tracking projects. 
• Learn about the Duty to Consult and how it is tied to Aboriginal rights and Aboriginal title.
• Read Indigenous authors, watch Indigenous media, and support Indigenous artists.
• Learn about Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982: unlike the USA, Indigenous Peoples in Canada have constitutional rights and protections.

References

¹  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonization

²  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

³ https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/seventh-generation-principle

⁴ https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

Featured photo: Unsplash by Chris Robert