Communities reimagining celebrations to honour Indigenous people on Canada Day

Organizers from coast to coast say they are trying to balance celebrations of Canadian pride with reflections on the country's difficult history with Indigenous people.

Many communities are reimagining Canada Day celebrations to recognize Indigenous Peoples, as the country continues to reckon with its legacy following the discovery of possible unmarked graves at former residential schools.

“Being Canadian is engaging with these really difficult things,” said Sean Carleton, an assistant professor of history and Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba.

“Being Canadian, in this moment, does mean reflecting on the history of colonialism and residential schools as a way of trying to establish new, better, stronger relations moving forward.”

Organizers from coast to coast say they are trying to balance celebrations of Canadian pride with reflections on the country’s difficult history with Indigenous people.

Some events were silenced last year amid a sense of collective grief after possible graves were located on the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. More possible graves have been found across the country in the year since.

On Canada Day last year in Winnipeg, thousands of people took to the streets – dressed in orange in honour of residential school survivors – in a demonstration that led to the toppling of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth statues on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature.

This year, organizers of the big Canada Day celebration at the Forks – an important site for Indigenous peoples in downtown Winnipeg – have renamed the event “A New Day,” cancelled fireworks and promised events that are to be reflective as well as celebratory.

The decision has been controversial locally, but Carleton praised organizers for listening to what Indigenous people in the city requested.