{Pause and reflect} I have considered, at some length, how best to convey what I have to say today. Tomorrow, the country I grew up in will celebrate #Canada150, but from where I sit, I see little worth celebrating. My upbringing was as close to the North American normal as it could be. And it wasn't until I was eighteen that I began to consider the circumstances that made my normal possible. Canada 150 is a celebration of indigenous genocide, of land theft, of white supremacy, of colonial violence. And so, while you drink Tim Horton's coffee and enjoyed maple leaf-shaped treats tomorrow, I invite you to ask questions and be critical. Consider what we know; before it was colonized, North America was known as Turtle Island. It was home to 500 distinct Nations, each with their own worldviews, ceremonies, languages and innovations. These Nations have been our reluctant hosts for one hundred and fifty years. We live our normal lives on their ancestral land, and take for granted that we have the right to do it. We don't. It's time to #rethink150. I recognize the privilege that my skin colour affords me and I make an effort to be an ally everyday. I don't always get it right. But I support #resistance150. I hope you will all consider doing the same. (at Winnipeg, Manitoba)
