Settlers Take Action

Non-Indigenous folk who live in Canada benefit from the colonialism that happened here. That means we are all responsible for our personal role in reconciliation.

Make this Moment of Mourning a Movement for Change

In May 2021, the remains of 215 Indigenous children killed in a Residential School in British Colombia were found. Since then 1000s of unmarked graves have been found at former Residential Schools sites across the country, with thousands of more Indigenous children still unaccounted for. Over seven generations of Indigenous people were forced into these ‘schools’ and thousands continue to feel their indescribable effects of personal and intergenerational trauma to this day. The Indigenous people of this land continue to face systemic violence and oppression to this day. This is not just a historical issue; it is also a current issue.

For all of us in Canada, this moment should be one of national mourning.

We as settlers and non-Indigenous people of this land need to own that; we need to sit with the discomfort of our country's actions. We have to accept that while we might not be directly responsible, we still greatly benefit from colonialism in Canada. We need to understand that we can love this country and know it needs to be better.

Our government has a responsibility to do better, but so do we. We can't just mourn; we need to do more, individually as settlers and collectively as a settler nation. We all have a part to play in Truth & Reconciliation, and since our government isn't stepping up, then we, the people, must.

Read more about our project’s commitment to this moment in our Status Quo Must Go Statement.

Present Day Colonial Violence

Present Day Colonial Violence

Canada’s Third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on Sept 30

OCP Original Content

Featured In

To our surprise and honour, we were mentioned in Jody Wilson-Raybould’s book True Reconciliation

First Time Settler Taking Action

Step 1 | Learn About Whose Land You Live On: Find out whose traditional territory you live on. Visit native-land.ca

Step 2 | Do Your Research: Click on the links of the territories from native-land.ca and learn more about the original caretakers of the land you now inhabit, their history, and the current issues that affect their communities.

Step 3 | Read about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Review the 94 Calls to Action.

Find a TL;DR version of the report via the CBC, and see the progress made on each item via CBC here.

Step 4 | Connect with your Elected Officials: Click here to find out who your elected reps are. Tell them you care about the Indigenous people of Canada and want to see action taken to reconcile with them, as described in the Truth and Reconciliation Report. Ask for an update on what they are personally doing to take action. Hold them accountable.

Step 5 | Be Public About Your Solidarity: The more non-Indigenous people take action and become vocal about their solidarity with the Indigenous people of this land, the more likely we are to create sustainable change. The more likely we will peak and hold the interest of politicians so that they radically shift the way they take action around this.

Amplify Indigenous voices on your social media, lend your support to the causes and bills they care about, and share your findings from Native-Land.ca. Do more than has been done by those before us.

Create Momentum Online by using the Hashtag #SettlersTakeAction to help start a movement around this moment.

Step 6 | Start Your Learning Journey: take a look at the books, organizations, IG Lives, Blog posts and Resources list we’ve gathered together below to learn more about Residential Schools, Reconciliation and become a better ally to Indigenous people across Turtle Island.

Step 7 | Show up in Solidarity: Being an ally isn’t something you do once in a while - in fact, once-in-awhile allyship is more about you feeling good about yourself, than it is about making a difference for a community you aren’t part of. So it is crucial you find ways to be an ally in an ongoing way.

One way you can do that is by joining our Social Good Crew - a community of value-aligned people who want to show up better in every part of their life.

You can also set up reoccurring reminders and donations to contribute to any of the organizations listed below, and support Indigenous-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, creators, artists and more.

Make An Impact Now

We’ve compiled a list of credible Indigenous-led organizations below you can donate to, support, and find important resources from below. Not sure who to give your money to? Donate to the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Fund through Unite for Change, a fund that includes more than 40 Indigenous-led charities from across Canada whose focus ranges from social services to arts and culture. Learn More about their charitable Funds on their website.

Learn More

As treaty partners, we have a responsibility to demand our leaders enact all 94 Calls to Action and engage in active allyship in our own lives. This includes our homes, communities, schools, and our workplaces. When non-Indigenous folk collectively show up as true treaty partners, it'll force high-speed action from our government instead of the dial-up/buffering speed that they seem to be taking with these 94 Calls to Action.

 Foundational Books for Adults:

 Foundational Books for Children:

 Key Organizations:

 Listen To Indigenous Voices:

 Stay Up To Date On The Issues:

 Additonal Reading: