Today is October 1st and your orange shirts are put away, it’s time to ask yourself, “What now?” One day of showing your support is not enough for systemic change to occur. Everyone has a duty to continue to work to increase awareness of Canada’s legacy of legislative oppression and genocide.
What can you do within your organization to increase Indigenous inclusion. Reconciliation begins with you. Reconciliation begins with Canada reconciling with its horrific past, and creating space for Indigenous inclusion, it’s not about Indigenous people creating space for settlers to feel good about themselves for helping out one day a year.
Here’s what you can do on Tuesday when you return to work; look within your organization’s structures and systems and pick one place to start creating that space for Indigenous inclusion, then start to broaden your lens to other areas. As you do this, don’t put the weight on Indigenous employees, but include them.
Indigenous inclusion needs to happen everyday, not just one day a year. You can’t wear an orange shirt one day, put it away and say you’ve done your part.
