You may also watch this video on Facebook. We ask that you share this video with your non-Indigenous friends and family and let them know what you think of it.

After attending Resistance and Resurgence: Decolonization in a Time of “Reconciliation”, we invite you to ask yourself the following questions:

  • Why do you think “Reconciliation” is put inside quotation marks?
  • What are some of the most challenging learning moments for you?
  • How do you think you’ve helped other people in the process of Decolonization and Reconciliation?
  • How do you think you’ve hindered other people in the process of Decolonization and Reconciliation?
  • How can you best support and encourage others to better, learn about, and take action on Reconciliation?

There has been a disconnect between words and actions in how Canada, including its government institutions, organizations and people have viewed and defined “reconciliation.”

On the one hand, an inquiry report and calls to action on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples was released in 2019, yet this year, the calls to action have been muted, with no signs of moving forward. Canadians protest to reclaim their right to move freely in light of COVID-19 restrictions, yet were outraged by the Wet’suwet’en Nations’ right to protect their lands and people as a pipeline makes its way through extracting resources and displacing people. Police forces have killed five Indigenous people this year, two of which are Indigenous women, while some police departments and government institutions deny systemic racism.

Indigenous peoples continue to be overlooked as Canadians continue to withhold and be selective with their outrage when systemic racism began since first contact through colonization. Abolishing white supremacy means understanding how it plays out in every institution including the child welfare system, the criminal justice system, the housing system, income inequities, access to healthcare, education and employment, on and off reserves. The road to decolonization, truth, and reconciliation requires respecting Indigenous rights and sovereignty.

Please join our panelists for a continuously relevant and revealing conversation from the lenses of diverse Indigenous peoples:

 

(Leslie Varley and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers were originally listed, but will not be available to join us at this time.)

The panelists joining will be expending their labour, energy, and time, and in so many ways, attendees will never come close to understanding the pain, trauma, resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples. Feminists Deliver is committed to amplifying and not silencing Indigenous peoples’. We ask people who are not Indigenous to Turtle Island to respectfully witness and decentre themselves, and not comment or ask questions. Please do your own work outside of this discussion.

We are aware that a Healing Gathering for Chantel Moore will also be held on Thursday, June 18 from 4 to 6:30 pm at the Legislature Building in Victoria. We have been in touch with the organizers and we encourage those in Victoria to attend this healing gathering. Chantel Moore was a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, on Vancouver Island in BC. She had recently moved to New Brunswick to live with her five-year-old daughter Gracie and her mother Martha Martin. On June 4, 2020, Chantel Moore (Martin) was shot and killed by the city police in Edmundston, New Brunswick during a wellness check. This injustice is another case of systemic racism, police brutality, and Canada’s failure to protect and honour the lives of Indigenous peoples.

Please give to Chantel Moore’s family

A fundraiser has been created and circulated with the permission of the Martin family, and we encourage those attending our discussion to give financially.

We will also be honouring Chantel and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples with a moment of silence at our event. Please join us then.

Please donate to the following:

Please continue to show support and stay connected with our panelists: