Booshoo I’m Sol Mamakwa, MPP for Kiiwetinoong.
July 1st is Canada Day. We recognize that for many Canadians, choosing whether to celebrate Canada Day is a complicated decision.
Now more than ever, we are being confronted by the real history of Indian Residential Schools, which Indigenous peoples have always known.
As more survivors tell their stories, and more graves are found, celebrating the date of Confederation doesn’t feel right for many.
We should not ignore these feelings, but rather channel them into action.
I understand that Canadians love this country. Canada serves as a land of opportunity, a place of refuge, and most importantly, home.
Everyone who lives on this land are treaty peoples.
It is the collective responsibility of all Canadians to uphold the treaties that made Canada possible in the first place.
It is my hope that Canadians will be able to strike a balance between honouring all that Canada has done for them today, while still recognizing the real history of oppression, colonialism and genocide.
Meegwetch.