'Put some pressure on Canada to acknowledge that Canada is on Indigenous lands,' Indigenous expert says
Elianna Lev
Sat, July 1, 2023
A non-profit is teaching Canadians simple ways they can “un-erase” Indigenous people this Canada Day.
Victoria-based RAVEN, which supports Indigenous Peoples’ access to justice through public education and raising legal defence funds, wants people across the country to know the easy steps they can take to show support and invest in relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.
The group is using Canada Day to get the message across that the ongoing harms of colonization are often minimized or forgotten when the holiday is celebrated.
“I want to encourage Canadians specifically to put some pressure on Canada to acknowledge that Canada is on Indigenous lands,” Jamie-Leigh Gonzales, communications manager with RAVEN, tells Yahoo News Canada.
One way that can be done is by signing a petition on a website launched by RAVEN’s called HomeOnNativeLand.com, which asks the Minister of Heritage to update the lyrics of the anthem to “home on native land”, instead of “Home and native land.
Why Jully Black’s rendition of O Canada was carefully premeditated
R&B singer Jully Black sparked debate when she swapped a single word performing the national anthem at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. In this conversation with the CBC’s David Common, she talks about the importance of asking for permission before making the bold move and reveals why she's so determined to keep fighting for Indigenous rights.
Singer Jully Black made headlines earlier this year when she sang the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem as “home on native land”, and committed to doing it again this week at a ceremony for graduating law students at the Toronto Metropolitan University.
The website also features ten free module courses that teach Canadians how to equip themselves with the knowledge necessary to support Indigenous priorities, rights and legal actions.
“Ultimately the course is aiming to show what Canadians can do to put reconciliation into action,” says Gonzales. “We have to go beyond just land acknowledgments…The series builds on knowledge necessary to support and discuss how we can have more contributions to legal justice for Indigenous peoples.”
According to one report, 67% of Canadians say that they have a personal role in reconciliation. But the same report also reveals that Canadians increasingly describe the relationships between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people to be negative. Gonzales says this is likely the result of increased Canadian awareness of historical justices that have been on-going for Indigenous people.
This includes the report of the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, increased awareness of the Wet'suwet'en campaign against pipelines, and the identification of unmarked graves in Kamloops and other parts of the nation.
“When we see this shift in what Canadians are feeling, it’s just that they are starting to understand that there’s ongoing colonialism that is still impacting Indigenous people today,” she says.
Gonzales stresses that small efforts can make a big difference in the long run for Canadians looking to do more to show support for Indigenous people and their communities.
“It may feel insignificant but small symbolic changes are indicators that the public’s ready to be more open, to learn about these injustices and to make change,” she says.
Black swapped the word “on” instead of “and,” making the lyric in O Canada: "Our home on native land."
Elianna Lev
February 22, 2023·
Canadian singer Jully Black proved that words matter.
Over the weekend the Juno-winning musician chose to change one word while belting the national anthem at an All Stars basketball game in Salt Lake City, Utah. Black swapped the word “on” instead of “and,” making the lyric: "Our home on native land."
"I wouldn't have sung it if I didn't believe it should be this," Black told The Canadian Press.
"This one word would significantly give honour, support and recognition to the Indigenous community who have often been overlooked and unrecognized."
The move, while subtle, has ignited a lot of reaction on both sides. While some feel the national anthem shouldn’t be toyed with, many praised the move as a way to educate others and honour the truth of Canada’s history. Others were happy to see the rest of Canada catching up with the altered lyrics, which have been referenced for years by many in Indigenous communities.
Honey Johnson is the centre director of UpLift Black, a Barrie-Ont.-based non-profit focused on social justice and inclusion. Johnson, who uses they/them pronouns and is two-spirited and Afro-Indigenous, says while it’s a small action, it has a big impact, especially for people who are ignorant to the history of Indigenous people’s relationship to the land.
“Not a lot of people understand the importance of knowing these things,” they tell Yahoo News Canada. “A lot of people hide it under the rug or don’t care about it, so for (Black) to speak out about it publicly in a big setting like that, it’s definitely going to turn heads and make a difference and be impactful.”
Megan Julian is from Shxwhá:y Village, a smaller group of Stó:lō Nation, and acts as Indigenous research manager with Archipel, an Indigenous-owner research and consulting firm. She says the move didn’t really surprise her, especially since she’s used the same wording when singing the national anthem herself. However, it still managed to inspire a visceral reaction.
“Actually watching the video, a part of my emotional reaction is that my heart kind of flutters but actually seeing it happen on a broader stage is something myself and other Indigenous people across Canada know and have been experiencing and living with,” she says. “I think it was kind of a sign of maybe what solidarity can look like between equity deserving groups.”
As for the people who are critical about having the national anthem altered, Julian says that’s likely a symptom of settler communities and people in Canada who are used to the narrative that focuses on their stories. What Black did was a shift to focus on other stories and experiences.
“It can be a little divisive and uncomfortable when you have to see it on an international stage,” she says.
The move to swap lyrics has garnered intense feedback online from both those who felt it was necessary, and those who think the national anthem is not something that is meant to be tampered with.
Indigenous artist Chippewar pointed out that he made t-shirts with the wording “Oh Canada your home on native land” nine years ago, while giving Black her props.
Others on Twitter felt Black’s choice to change the lyrics wasn't appropriate.
The national anthem has changed in its official capacity in recent years. In 2018, the lyric “in all thy sons command” changed to “in all of us command” to make it gender-neutral.
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