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A Day of National Mourning on July 1st

A Day of National Mourning on July 1st

July 1st is known as Canada Day. This year especially comes with a deep responsibility for all non-Indigenous people to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities, acknowledge the role many of us play in colonialism as settlers*, mourn the pain and suffering that generations of Indigenous peoples continue to endure, and fight to hold our systems accountable to the change that is needed.

It is our responsibility to fight for justice. We can all start by spending time on July 1st reflecting on our privilege and learning about the impacts past and present of the atrocities that have been experienced by Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. Every one of us has an individual responsibility to educate ourselves, stand in solidarity with our Indigenous communities, and fight for justice.

In light of the discovery of hundreds of unmarked and mass graves on the sites of former residential schools in Cowesses First Nation and Kamloops, Good For Her is choosing not to celebrate Canada Day — a day that was built on colonialism and genocide. While our store is closed, our online shop remains open. We will donate 20% of sales on July 1st to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Not sure where to start?

Listen to this incredibly chilling poem recorded by Dennis Saddleman called, Monster. It was first recited at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).  

Watch Chief Robert Joseph share his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada. Namwayut: we are all one. Truth and reconciliation in Canada | Canada is ...

Learn more through Indigenous Canada, a MOOC (massive open online course) developed by the University of Alberta. It is free, multimedia, accessible, open to anyone, can be done on your own time, and easy to learn from.

Read the Indigenous Ally Toolkit for a 3-minute explanation on how to be an ally.

For more recommendations on taking action, see the On Canada Project.

Good For Her resides in Tkaronto on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabewaki, Mississaugas of the Credit, and Wendake-Nionwentsïo First Nations as a part of the “Dish with One Spoon” Treaty. The "Dish", or what is sometimes referred to as the "Bowl", represents what is now southern Ontario, from the Great Lakes to Quebec and from Lake Simcoe into the United States. “We all eat out of the Dish, all of us that share this territory, with only one spoon. That means we have to share the responsibility of ensuring the dish is never empty, which includes taking care of the land and the creatures we share it with. Importantly, there are no knives at the table, representing that we must keep the peace.”

 

*Settlers do not include those who are descendants of “forcibly displanted Africans”