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National Indigenous History Month



June is National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity for celebration and a reminder for settlers to appreciate and learn about the culture, history, and contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. St. George's School is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam First Nation; as we study, work, learn, and play on this land, we must make individual efforts to move our country forward on the path of reconciliation. This can begin with listening to Indigenous voices. If you are looking to engage with and appreciate Musqueam culture, or the culture of neighbouring First Nations, there are cultural institutions in and around Vancouver you can visit such as the Musqueam Cultural Education Resource Centre, or UBC's Museum of Anthropology. Additionally, St. George's School has resources available for your perusal! Within the Learning Commons and online, we have Indigenous works in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Indigenous Peoples are not a relic of the past, but a "living, breathing people whose culture continues to adapt and grow". There is so much art, so many beautiful languages and stories. There are joyful stories and harder ones, such as those honouring the histories of children taken into Residential Schools, where an estimate of 25-69% lost their lives. One such history, that of Chanie Wenjack, is honoured through the renowned multimedia project by Gord Downie called "The Secret Path", an album, graphic novel, and film about Chanie's escape from the Cecilia Jeffery Residential School. 

This past weekend, the undocumented remains of 215 children were discovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops. BC Premier John Horgan stated: "This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. And it is a stark example of the violence the Canadian residential school system inflicted upon Indigenous peoples and how the consequences of those atrocities continue today." This is more than "a dark chapter in Canadian history." Canada's history of genocide and colonialism is more than a hazy period of shame, it's a time that has a lasting impact on land, law, legislature, and Indigenous Peoples.

I recently borrowed the graphic novel "This Place" from the Learning Commons library, it's an anthology of comics exploring the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators. The different visual styles and necessary stories bring to life a suppressed history, it's illuminating, engaging, beautiful, and vital. I returned it yesterday, so it's up for grabs, and there's a digital copy as well.

We'd love to hear how you are choosing to learn, appreciate, and celebrate this month... Leave a comment below!




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