National Aboriginal Day

[ssiguy]

Does the average Canadian care {little alone know} about NAD?

I guess I should add to that question is if the average First Nation's Canadian even cares either? Seriously, you see all the politicians making speeches like they could careless but everyone knows these are just media events with politicians trying to make as much political hay as they can.

Almost everything we hear about First Nation's, which is quite frequent these days, is bad news. From murders, suicides, lack of housing and clean water, addiction, family violence, and poverty. Perhaps Canadians view it as more of a National Depression Day when the media and government try to remind us of the desperation that 3% of our population lives in and, at least subconsciously, the rest of us try to avoid.

[MolsonExport]

Hi First Nations! Sorry, for taking your land, children, culture, and dignity, but no worries, we will give you a day of recognition!
Way to little, way too late.

[ssiguy]

^ Your comment just proves my point........for most Canadians it's National Depression Day. It's the one government recognized day in the year that Canadians are suppose to feel lousy about themselves.

[kwoldtimer]

If people haven't noticed that there are (the beginings of) changes afoot in the last couple of years, they haven't been paying attention. Too little, too late? Talk to me again in a hundred years, and we'll see.

From today's news:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...ticle35406751/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...ticle35399084/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitche...nous-1.4171062

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

^ Your comment just proves my point........for most Canadians it's National Depression Day. It's the one government recognized day in the year that Canadians are suppose to feel lousy about themselves.

Or, and this is a radical thought, one could also choose to associate the day with it's purpose (as per PM's statement from earlier today):

“ ... Every year, we join together on this day to recognize the fundamental contributions that First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation have made to the identity and culture of all Canadians. The history, art, traditions, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples have shaped our past, and continue to shape who we are today. ..."

[Acajack]

This too:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts...ticle35314754/

I think the efforts being made right now are sincere.

We'll have to wait quite some time see what the lasting effects might be, however.

From my vantage point, a lot of what's being done is "reconciliatory" and while this is no doubt good, there is lots of bricks and mortar, nuts and bolts socio-educational-economic stuff that's still missing in too many aboriginal communities.

[kwoldtimer]

Although neither side seems to speak to it, I suspect that we are at the beginning of a multi-generational process. Whether it can succeed or not (or whether there's even an understanding of what "success" might look like) I have no idea.

[Boris2k7]

It's something that shows up under "Canadian Holidays" on my Google Calendar. That gives it slightly more recognition than any other random "xx Day" that seems to happen any given week.

[whatnext]

The thread is already out of date, as the government has said it is to be renamed National Indigenous Peoples Day.

[1overcosc]

Make it a statutory holiday.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Does the average Canadian care {little alone know} about NAD?

I guess I should add to that question is if the average First Nation's Canadian even cares either? Seriously, you see all the politicians making speeches like they could careless but everyone knows these are just media events with politicians trying to make as much political hay as they can.
.

The city of Toronto has been doing a fairly good job under Mayor Tory making people aware of today's significance. We have three new public art installations which have been highlighted today as part of the today's' celebrations. Also celebrations set throughout the city with a huge Native Arts festival from today until Sunday at Fort York. Yes education about this day needs to be better but hopefully it will become more well known each year. I'm not sure why today was chosen I'm going to assume the solstice is the reason for it. Making this a stat holiday would solidify it in the minds of most people I would bet.

This day is not meant to dwell on past mistakes but to celebrate our indigenous cultures across Canada. I would recommend all Canadians get out and celebrate this holiday in some way over the next few days.

I think Vancouver has done the best job of representing it's Native community, where as I find in Toronto the native population to be very small. Most people here don't get much exposure to it. I have had the benefit of dating a Metis girl and working for the ImagiNative Film Festival. My exposure to native culture is probably a little more then the average Canadian/Torontonian.

Shameless plug: Anybody in Toronto from October the 18th to October the 22nd that enjoys films should check out the film festival. the largest indigenous film festival of it's kind anywhere.

http://www.imaginenative.org

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Make it a statutory holiday.

That would be amazing.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If people haven't noticed that there are (the beginings of) changes afoot in the last couple of years, they haven't been paying attention. Too little, too late? Talk to me again in a hundred years, and we'll see.

From today's news:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...ticle35406751/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...ticle35399084/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitche...nous-1.4171062

Isn't that what African Americans thought?

[ssiguy]

As for Vancouver's attempts to make the Native population more visible, I agree Vancouver has done the best job...........the Downtown Eastside truly stands out and represents what Vancouver City Hall thinks and cares about it's Native population.

[Denscity]

Vancouver's YVR airport just announced a first of its kind agreement with the local First Nations band today.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Vancouver's YVR airport just announced a first of its kind agreement with the local First Nations band today.

http://www.yvr.ca/en/media/news-rele...shared-benefit

[Denscity]

Thanks for the link kwold.

[ssiguy]

I applaud YVR for this initiate and I don't mean to undermine such efforts.

My point of this thread is if Canadians really care about NAD and do Natives see this as a positive government initiative or rather a yearly "feel good" event primarily for political photo-ops. Maybe I am cynical but I think this is pure tokenism to make it look like our respective governments care about our Natives which they essentially don't.

Politicians are also politicians...........they rarely think beyond the next election and funneling time and money to Native issues yields little political gain. Natives are overwhelmingly poor, uneducated, and socially disenfranchised, in other words they don't vote and equally important they don't contribute to political parties. Politicians also know that while most Canadians are genuinely horrified about missing Indigenous women and suicides of teens on reserves, most Canadians are very hesitant to put funding towards Native issues because they don't like the grotesque nepotism of the reserve system and see such funds as simply more good money after bad.

[vid]

Native organizations give their staff the day off, and we have day-long celebrations on the waterfront, starting with a sunrise ceremony at 5AM.

Thunder Bay is 15% indigenous and has been working hard to make the relationship between the government and indigenous people as positive and productive as possible (despite the actions of our police force), so the city gives the day a lot of support.

It does kind of get mixed into all of the other ethnic festivals. In a few weeks we'll be celebrating the other kind of Indians, and a few weeks after that, Italians. In March, Finns have a special day.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Make it a statutory holiday.

I don't believe the Federal government can as the responsibility would fall upon the provinces. A Liberal motion recently proposed making Remembrance Day a statutory holiday and listed that it's essentially ceremonial.