SASKATOON — Canada Day is around the corner and for many it will be a time to celebrate what the country is about, some though, say it shouldn’t be celebrated at all.
Allison Forsberg who is First Nations is organizing her event ‘Bring Them Home’ taking place July 1st at 11 a.m in Kiwanis Memorial Park in Saskatoon.
“I’m having some speakers come. Share some knowledge. We’re having some poetry, we’re also having some speakers come from Cowessess First Nation come and speak on their experience,” Forsberg said.
She added she is hoping her event can help Indigenous people heal after the recent discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the site of the Marieval Residential School.
"Canada Day is representing genocide within a country that is built on the attempted eradication of indigenous people," she said.
Bring Them Home isn’t the only event opposing the celebration of Canada Day. Chokecherry Studios is hosting a Cancel Canada Day event on July 1st, also at Kiwanis Memorial Park.
On its Facebook page the advertisement for the event says “we are asking the community to show support for Residential School Survivors and Indigenous communities across the country by refusing to celebrate 154 years of colonial violence and genocide.”
Priscilla Settee is an Indigenous professor at the University of Saskatchewan with her own thoughts on Canada Day celebrations.
"In a view of the circumstance, all the unearthed babies, children and the role Canada had to play in that tragedy, it’s a bit inappropriate I guess to celebrate Canada seeing the fact that these were foundational events that established Canada,” she said.
Leaders of La Ronge, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the Village of Air Ronge have already cancelled Canada Day celebrations. On Friday the City of Melville announced it has elected to postpone the Canada Day parade and fireworks in support and solidarity with the Cowessess First Nation and residential school survivors.
“It’s respectful to maybe backup and think about what the symbolism of a big fireworks display and all that is Canadian,” Sette told CTV News.
The Optimist Club, which organizes much of the city’s events on Canada Day had already cancelled the day due to “public health orders, and restrictions to large group public events.”
“Optimist Canada Day will return in 2022 bigger than before, in partnership with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the world who have come together to make today one of the best countries in the world,” said Optimist Club member Rob Belyk.
Hudson’s downtown will be celebrating Canada Day.
“We have music bingo going on that features Canadian Artists,” said Hudson’s Saskatoon part-owner Greg Clark. “We’re hoping to have a good turnout.”
The restaurant is decorated with Canadian flags but also has Orange tape wrapped around posts. It is allowing its servers to wear orange shirts on July 1st.
“We’re also offering a up a new item on its menu with proceeds going to support the Gord Downey & Chanie Wenjack Fund.”
According to the fund’s website it “aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”
