Matthew Hayday, of the University of Guelph recently posted a long thoughtful tweet series about Canada Day, cancellation, and how to proceed. The whole thing is worth a look:
Because of my past research about the history of Canada Day, I've been asked by a few media outlets for comment about recent cancellations of events for this year. July 1 has always been politicized, and frequently contested. A few thoughts in the following thread. 🧵
— Matthew Hayday (@mhayday) June 25, 2021
My own feeling is that, beyond grief, pain, anger and regret, we are going to need Canadian institutions more than ever. Reconciliation, if it ever moves beyond promises and apologies, is going to depend on a nation-to-nation, treaty-based relationship between Canada and the First Nations, replacing one driven by the Indian Acts and all they led to. That treaty-based relationship needs to be driven by the Canadian state taking up its constitutional obligation to respect treaty principles and treaty commitments. Canada created these horrors. Canada could address them, and it will take more than apologies and renamings.
Thanks also to Jared Milne who comments:
Family connections, and the larger heritage and culture, are what most people are probably celebrating on Canada Day. They're as much a part of Canada as its racism and violence.
