ACAS & Indigenous Solidarity
To our community members: we hope you learn more from this and feel encouraged to support Indigenous folks all around the globe.
Our Land Acknowledgement
Here at ACAS, we understand the importance of this land’s living and spiritual histories, stories, and people. As settlers, we are honoured to be here and doing the work to fight for land rights, harm reduction, and anti-colonial movements.
We recognize that we are living in, working on, and sharing space in a city that has been traditionally called Tkaronto, or greater Turtle Island. The majority of our staff and community members are guests or displaced settlers on this land.
This is the traditional and unsurrendered land of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee people, the Wendat and the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, the Chippewa, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River. It is now home to many diverse Indigenous folks, yet lacks a good portion of resources to support them. Though Toronto is covered by Treaty 13, which was signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, as well as the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands, we have a long way to go when it comes to reconciliation efforts.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process. It is not enough for us to simply acknowledge the land and histories around us; we must be committed to active allyship and cross-movement solidarity. Support Indigenous initiatives and never stop learning about legacies of colonial systems both at home and abroad. The QTAY at ACAS are committed to regularly updating our land acknowledgements and resource documents to reflect our growth as allies.
Wonder why we have a land acknowledgement? Read about it at Local Love.
Want to learn more? You can do so at Native Land!
If you want to suggest anything regarding this carrd, you can email Dany Ko at [email protected]. Special thanks to peer leaders Angela and Min for helping us out with this!
Canadian Resources
ODE: Remembered Voices is a fantastic two-spirit and LGBTQ+ Indigenous Youth led group within the Greater Toronto Area.
Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction, or TIHR, is another great organization that has provided a variety of services to Indigenous folks, including providing harm reduction kits, health support, traditional medicines, traditional foods, and more to some of the most vulnerable folks in the community, many of whom are residential school and 60’s scoop survivors. You can learn more on their website. You can also support their newest project with Native Arts Society and help fund their Studio and Gallery space, an initiative led by two-spirit folks.
Elsewhere in Canada, and especially due to recent events, you can donate to the IRSSS, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, based in British Columbia. They accept donations a variety of ways and you can learn more at their website. Many of us heard about the 215 bodies found at Kamloops, but many others have been overlooked; over 6000 bodies have been found since, and there are likely many, many more who have not been found. While inspecting these schools is only one small step towards coming to terms to the very real, very genocidal history of Canada, it is still a step, and something that must be done.
Idle No More is a Canada-wide Indigenous women-led social movement that protests and regularly updates Canadians on legislature and movements that can harm or bolster Indigenous communities. They have also provided some amazing support worldwide to other Indigenous folks and work to connect all Indigenous movements for land back and reconciliation efforts. You can donate to them on their website.
Coast Protectors is a union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs working towards the recognition, implementation and exercise of inherent Indigenous Title, Rights and Treaty Rights. They have been fighting against the Trans Mountain Pipeline & Tanker project and regularly update folks about it. You can donate on their website here.
If you'd like a way to keep up with Indigenous news, we suggest checking out APTN News, which holds stories about Indigenous people, communities, and movements from Indigenous people.
How to Take Action:
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is a helpful resource that explores various Calls to Action that must be actively taken to work towards reconciliation within Canada.
You can read up on calls to action and get more information from Indigenous perspectives at Decolonize Myself - A First Nations Perspective website.
If you'd like to learn more about the land(s) that you live on and travel to, you can visit Destination Indigenous to plan a trip that honours Indigenous experiences, led by Indigenous folks.
You can also take a look at the On Canada Project to learn about next steps and get more resources.
Further Reading:
Indigenous Activism In Canada's Past, Present, And Future - From West Coast Environmental Law. Explores Indigenous activism in Canada throughout time and reflects on Canada Day.
11 Indigenous resistance movements you need to know - From Muskrat Magazine. Some important sites of resistance across Greater Turtle Island that may be helpful to know about.
The chaotic story of the right to vote in Canada - From the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, on stolen land and sourcing water from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, which hasn’t had clean drinking water for many years. Highlights the history of colonization of governance and voting rights in Canada.
➡ Shoal Lake 40 water crisis an ugly reminder of Canadian colonialism - From Ricochet. Describes the ongoing water crisis for the Shoal Lake 40 community.
Indigenous Land Based Activism - From UBC. A list of campaigns, movements, organizations, and networks.
International Resources
A great general resource and organization that you should support is the Indigenous Peoples Movement, which "brings awareness on issue affecting Indigenous people from North and South America, Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean." Following them is a fantastic way to get news on Indigenous issues and movements from all over the world.
Outside of Canada, we here at ACAS stand with Palestinians as they fight for their land, freedom, and right to live. To be completely clear, we do not condemn any anti-Semitic or Islamophobic rhetoric when it comes to talking about this issue. This is an issue of Indigeneity, land rights, and the need to prevent the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. You can learn more at their website. You can donate to organizations such as BDS Movement, Al-Shabaka, and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. If you want to learn more, you can read this other carrd or look at LetsTalkPalestine on Instagram. You can also see what companies to boycott here and support the local Toronto BDS Network.
In Colombia, peaceful protests have been taking place since April of this year against a corrupt government that only seems to promote inequality. The government response to the pandemic has left many people, including Indigenous communities, with very little. Afro-Indigenous folks have been fighting for their lives for months now, and you can help them by donating.
In Myanmar, many different ethnic groups are facing violence from their government. Amongst these groups are Indigenous folks, in particular women, who have been the victims of gender-based violence, armed conflict, and lack of resources and support. You can help by donating for food support and Project Freedom.