Dispatch #10:

Hello everyone,

Today is Canada Day, the commemoration of my country's formation and the democracy I live under and benefit from. Much has been built under this country's flag, and I can't say that I'm against all of it -- democratic systems are messy as hell, but I'd rather this mess than most other forms of large scale governance, if we even need it! I'm still learning about alternatives, but for the moment, relative peace is a blessing and -- Canada has a legacy of genocide that we are responsible for, going forward.

Today, I have an open letter to share with you, from Toronto's weekly newspaper, NOW magazine. It contains descriptions of some of the horrors that Canada was built on (take care of yourselves), that we have yet to repair, and in many cases, even acknowledge: https://nowtoronto.com/news/an-open-letter-to-canadians-on-canadas-residential-school-shame

If you are passionate about Canada's history and relationship to indigenous peoples, consider reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report produced in 2015 and 2016.

https://nctr.ca/records/reports/

It is thousands of pages long, and as the above open letter states, it is missing many truths that have since been destroyed to protect our settler feelings, but I have seen, over and over again, indigenous people and organizations request that settlers read these documents. I am just beginning, and it will take me many years to finish it, but I'm glad to be on the journey. I have attached just the summary here, and encourage you to read the introduction (about 30 pages) if you have the energy.

Canada Day is a dark day for our indigenous neighbours, friends, and family, as settlers celebrate the desecration of their lives, history, and culture. They're still here, though, and we can support them in many ways, concretely and within our attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs. Standing Up for Racial Justice Toronto has put together this guide of resources for folks to take whatever action is appropriate for them.

I know this is a HUGE topic, and I'm really giving you a lot to take in today. I promise that the next dispatch will be back to the regular pattern of one resource per email. I'm not here to pressure or shame anyone for burning out, or needing to ground themselves, or needing a break from all this information. It's very, very hard. If you find yourself hurting because you're caught between wanting to learn and needing to rest, I'm here for you! We're better off talking about it, I think. And, you can always ask me to remove you from this list to get the space you need to integrate all this new information - I'll enthusiastically support you if that's the decision you need to make :)

All the love,

Georgia