Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod says he stands by Indigenous leaders not celebrating Canada's 15oth birthday.
See: Indigenous demonstrators erect teepee on Parliament Hill to protest Canada Day
McLeod says it "isn’t about making non-Indigenous people feel angry or guilty about celebrating Canada Day. Canadians have a lot to be proud of and there is much to be celebrated."
But he sees this "as an opportunity to educate Canadians about our country’s true history and why Indigenous people have little to celebrate."
In a phone interview with BayToday McLeod said, "This is one of the things that have been building from the time when Stephen Harper was in power and the disrespect we received from the Conservatives over a lot of our issues and when Trudeau came in bringing in a lot of hope and kind of letting us down on a lot of these issues that he promised to address. They were all nice words but we're still waiting to see action on those words. It's been a bit of a buildup across the First Nation country in the last couple of years and I think it's just culminating into what we're seeing as we approach 150."
The Chief is encouraging people to challenge what they know about Indigenous history and experiences and to learn more about what they don’t know about the relationship between Canada and its First Peoples.
"The 150th anniversary of Confederation is a reminder to Indigenous people of the cruel colonial legacy of the past, and of the policies and legislation that allow systemic discrimination towards Indigenous people to persist to this day," McLeod explained.
"We are often criticized for complaining about the past and what was done to our ancestors. We are told to 'get over it, we are all Canadians and these things happened a long time ago,' when in fact many injustices are still happening today. First Nations are still controlled by the same archaic, colonial legislation that was created in 1876 to eliminate us – the Indian Act.
"For Indigenous people, Canada’s 150th birthday represents the beginning of the government’s attempts to legislate us out of existence - to strip us of our culture, our language, our children, our lands and resources, and our rights. We weren’t allowed to vote or obtain a post-secondary education until 1960, and the last residential school closed in 1996, so we aren’t talking about ancient history."
McLeod wants celebrants this Saturday to ask themselves why many Indigenous people are not there.
"Better yet, ask how you can inform yourself about the inequities we face and help create a brighter future for all people who call Canada home. When I am asked by non-Indigenous friends how they can help, I recommend that they read the Truth and Reconciliation Report - if not in its entirety, then at least the summary and the 94 Calls to Action.
"I also recommend that people read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which sets the standard for the treatment of Indigenous people and is intended to serve as a tool to help eliminate discrimination and human rights violations."
