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"The Government of Canada has declared June 21st of every year to be
National Aboriginal Day to celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal
peoples to Canadian society as Canada's First Peoples and to recognize
their different cultures." -- D.I.A.N.D. Backgrounder (May 1996)

The Canadian government is saying that, once a year, Canadians should
celebrate the Aboriginal Peoples', "...unparalleled contributions to the
development of this country...".

To help everyone celebrate, Indian Affairs has taken the time to develop a
list of suggested activities. This list, however, demonstrates a
fundamental lack of understanding on the part of the people who are
supposed to be the bridge between our peoples. The "meat" of what they
offer, in the form of suggested activities, can only be described as tokenism.

Some of the suggestions contained on this list range from being naive and
uninformed, to being outright offensive. One of my favourite suggestions
is the one for a golf tournament. Being Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) from
Kanesatake, my first thought was to call Jean Ouellette, Sam Elkas and Tom
Siddon to set up a foursome and hit the links at the Oka Golf Course this
afternoon. The only problem is, who'll caddie for us?

[ This comment refers to the violent confrontation that took place at a
  location immediately adjacent to a Mohawk burial ground at Oka, Quebec
  during the summer of 1990.  There is a great deal of information on
  this subject available in the archives of the NATIVE-L mailing list
  ("http://bioc09.uthscsa.edu/natnet/archive/nl/" or from the LISTSERV
  (send "get nn-intro archives native-l" to "listserv@tamu.edu"))  --Gary ]

Indian Affairs also suggests that a community feast, such as a potlatch,
could be organized over the lunch hour. As far as I know, a potlatch is an
elaborate celebration -- which includes ceremonies, dancing to traditional
songs, a feast and giveaways -- which can last several days. It can hardly
be squeezed into a lunch hour. Someone in Indian Affairs is confusing a
potlatch and a potluck meal.

There is a problem with the concept of a national, or international,
"day." Take Earth Day, for example. Every April the world, for one day,
is supposed to celebrate Mother Earth. People "tsk, tsk" the current
situation, politicians make speeches and do something "environmental."
This is supposed to make people feel good about their "concern" for the
environment. Then, during the other 364 days of the year, the rape and
desecration of her gifts to us (you probably know them as natural
resources) continues as usual. No, there's something wrong with that
picture, which is not at all consistent with the approach of most
indigenous cultures.

On a more practical level, some of these ideas may be good ones but,
they'll be difficult to implement because of the I differences inherent in
our respective societies and ways. The Canadian government's continued
approach, in promoting an understanding and appreciation of indigenous
cultures, is to "Canadianize" us.

For example, many of our people take a holistic approach to life -- all
segments of the Circle of Life valuable and are interconnected. Our
spirituality is the fundamental basis of all we do.  Our society is based
on the concept of using a good mind in order to come to one mind on
issues. We have a concept of  leadership that is fundamentally different
from yours. We use different methods to resolve conflict. We lead a
harmonious existence with all of Creation. All these distinct aspects of
our society flow from the original teachings we received from
Sonkwaiatison, our Creator.

This conflicts with the way Canadians do things. It's been my experience
that attempting to incorporate "traditional activities" such as Smudging,
Opening/Thanksgiving Ceremonies, etc., into a corporate setting often
results in their being treated as just another agenda item. A certain
amount of time is allotted to "the spiritual segment" of the day and then
people go back to business as usual. If the principles inherent in our
ways do not become the fundamental foundation for all we do on a daily
basis, we diminish and trivialize them, and that is the height of disrespect.

 From our perspective, you tend to compartmentalize and segregate virtually
all aspects of your daily lives. Your institutions also reflect that
segmented approach and operate in that manner.

I think the suggestions that deal with treaties, recreation of historical
events and other educational exchanges can all be good things but only if
they're done properly. Whose perspective will prevail, or be given more
weight? We all know there are more than one perception of the same
"historical events." One of the reasons there is such an emotional
backlash to our struggle to retain our place on the earth is that few
Canadians know the true history of the part of the world they call Canada.
How many people know that "Canada" is derived from the Kanienkehaka word,
Kanata, which means village?

No doubt, this list was intended to help Canadians be aware, and
sensitive, of our cultures and traditional ways. It fails miserably,
however, as is demonstrated by the reaction of one Aboriginal person to
whom I sent the materials:

"Earlier today I started to get that queasy feeling when I saw smudges,
prayers, and potlatching listed as 'lunchtime activities' that could be
squeezed in somehow between word processing or board meetings or whatever.
This little laundry list is so fundamentally disrespectful that only a
person who was totally ignorant of the significance of some of these
activities could have put this list together... maybe I AM offended after
all..."

There's no justice in National Aboriginal Day and our people will have
little to celebrate until justice is done. I can say this given your
government's track record in dealing with our people. This is just as
self-serving and self-legitimizing as all federal and provincial
government's policies on "Aboriginal" issues.

I also find it particularly ironic that Indian Affairs would close out
their list of activities with the following cautionary note:

"It is highly recommended that, in planning events, you involve a person
knowledgeable in Aboriginal traditions."

Maybe taking their own advice, and having Aboriginal people offer what
would -- and wouldn't -- be appropriate, would have been one step away
from tokenism.

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Comments from NativeNet listowner, Gary Trujillo (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us):

One wonders whether Elijah Harper, respected Aboriginal leader and Member of
the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba (I don't know if he is still serving in
this capacity), who is mentioned in the proclamation, approved of this list
of suggestions.

I am hopeful that before long it will be possible to set up Web-based forums
to discuss issues such as this one and to assemble information that might
become the basis of proposals of better methods for bringing about the kind
of reconciliation that observances like the ones accompanying the proclama-
tion would seem aimed at producing.  Also, the sorts of values and way of
life that Allen describes as those of his people and other Aboriginal peoples
is not necessarily unavailable to members of non-Aboriginal societies, but
it is unlikely (and risks giving severe insult) that fundamental changes in
the way that people think, live, and act in North American society is to be
effected through superficial simulations of Native customs and ceremonies.

I would like to think about ways in which NativeNet can become a vehicle
for bringing about the kinds of examinations that might begin, or at least
be part, of a process through which people all over the world look at the
dominant modes of activity and the moral and intellectual underpinnings of
that activity.  It feels as if the kind of dialogue between Native and non-
Native persons and societies that can be most productive is one premised
on a recognition by members of the non-Native societies of the way in which
they have been responsible for a great deal of damage and destruction, both
to Native people and ways of life and to the earth as a whole.  Only through
acknowledging the historical and ongoing reality of these patterns, I feel,
do we have a chance of attempting the healing that so many of us really want.

Gestures such as those described in this proclamation may well amount to
tokenism - but there may be some genuine compassion that lie behind them,
despite the clumsiness implicit in the way they are formulated and promul-
gated.  Perhaps the mere fact that attempts toward reconciliation are being
made should be taken as a hopeful sign (despite the fact that they occur
within a larger pattern within which Aboriginal people across Canada continue
to feel the burden of what many feel to be unfair and possibly systematically
abusive treatment, as expressed in law, policy, and public attitude).  Maybe
a time is coming when a more genuine, meaningful, and productive dialogue
can come about.  Through our efforts, we may be able to help initiate and
encourage that process that I feel offers rich rewards for all of us.  To
begin that process, we will need to educate ourselves so as to really under-
stand and acknowledge historical and contemporary reality and to do what we
can to alter that part of the reality that we can affect.  By looking at our
institutions:  governmental, corporate, educational, religious, etc., etc.,
and how they can be humanized in keeping with the kind of spirit that Allen
talks about as being that which has guided his people, and learning such
things as being able to do more with less, there is much we can do to prepare
the ground for new growth.  (My apologies for using language that may sound
overly-idealistic and possibly even vacuous - once we get into such an
exchange, and concrete proposals come forth, I think we will see that there
is much in the way of ordinary practical work to be done - and that this
is much in the way of ordinary practical work to be done - and that this
effort need not be well-intentioned but ultimately worthless.)

I look forward to starting this process, and will do what I can to help
make it a reality.

Gary