Our home and native land. For about 95 per cent of British Columbians, this statement is a lie.
For the vast majority of non-first nations, Canada is an adopted country, chosen because either they themselves, a parent or even a grandparent chose to move here.
Colonialism was once commonplace. Hordes came out to “tame the West,” be “captains of industry” and triumph over adversity as self-made men (and even sometimes as self-made women).
History books are full of such tales. But Canadians must ask more of written history.
For example, when founders of the Powell River Company, Michael Scanlon and Dwight Brooks, purchased the rights to the pulp leases and the water of Powell Lake—who did they purchase it from? Not from Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation. These rights were given by the Crown.
Britain’s monarchy seized everything in Canada, from water rights to the rights of first nations already living here. All this for the benefit of very few Anglo-Saxon white men. Are these white men really heroes?
Heroically “conquering” a nation sounds less heroic when that nation was stolen rather than won.
Many might say colonialism is past and all those choosing to live here now benefit from Canada’s peace and good government.
But increasing the scope of the “haves” does not diminish the original crime—a crime most recently termed genocide by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This is Canada’s real history. It is difficult but many have yet to acknowledge the fact that they live here and benefit because of colonialism, because of land taken from first nations people.
The 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are a small, tentative start in terms of acknowledging the wrongs of Canada’s past. Residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, destroyed families and devastated cultures.
Now there is a different view of this land, of bold and resilient first nations people standing up together and saying no, that Canadians must acknowledge the injustices of the past to build a better future for everyone.
Unless Canadians move forward on these resolutions in good faith, O Canada will cease to be a triumphant anthem and remain forevermore a sigh of disappointment.
