This October long weekend is a time to learn and reflect on the colonial history of this holiday with friends and family members. As a non-Indigenous organization, RainCity continues its ongoing anti-racism work and disruption of colonial traditions, and decolonizing this weekend’s holiday is an active part of that work. Most Indigenous people do not celebrate the so-called "Thanksgiving Holiday.” The Indigenous Cultural Services Leadership at RainCity reminds us that for Indigenous Peoples it is a National Day of Mourning; a reminder of the slaughter of millions of Indigenous Peoples and the theft of their lands. Indigenous Peoples do not celebrate the arrival of colonizers and the centuries of genocide and oppression that followed and continues to this day. Here are five different ways you can decolonize this weekend’s holiday: 1) Combat erasure by telling the real story of thanksgiving to friends and family; 2) Find out who’s land you’re living on to unlearn the stories you may take for granted; 3) Support and buy from Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour owned businesses; 4) Support works written by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour authors; 5) Host a FriendsGiving Dinner as an alternative with locally sourced seasonal foods. #decolonizethisplace #indigenous #reconciliation #rethinkthanksgiving (fb)

Sept 30: As a non-Indigenous organization serving Indigenous people as well as employing Indigenous staff in many programs including leadership positions, we continue along our journey to Truth and Reconciliation and Decolonizing the places where we work. This work is ongoing, is built upon what we’ve learned in the past, and our focus as an organization has been to stay engaged with these six actions: 1) Learn the history between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples; 2) Understand the history and legacy of residential schools; 3) Explore the unique intersections we have between treaty, constitutional, Indigenous, and human rights we have in Canada; 4) Recognize the rich contributions that Indigenous peoples have made to Canada; 5)Take action to address historical injustices and present-day wrongs; 6) Teach others. There is an incredible amount chaos and injustice, there are horrific events taking place almost everywhere we look, and it can feel burdensome to just get through the day. Jodie Millward - Métis, with Anishinaabe, French and Ukraine ancestors - RainCity’s Senior VP of Programs and Facilities, and other members of our Senior Leadership Team, put it this way: “With so much going on in our organizations, in our communities and in our world, we must resist public pressures and stay true to our values. We need to resist being hardened by the state. This year, we have also seen how discrimination and public pushback against the services we provide—and against the people we work alongside—continue to impact our sector and our communities. These challenges are reminders of why the work of reconciliation and decolonization cannot be passive or symbolic; it must be active, consistent, and visible in how we support each other and in how we deliver services.” Everyone at RainCity, especially the non-Indigenous staff, are incredibly grateful that the Indigenous Cultural Services Department is willing to work closely with us, inform us, and challenge us every day in how we do the work we do at RainCity. We invite everyone to join in this ongoing anti-racism and decolonial work. #orangeshirtday #truthandreconciliation #everychildmatters (fb)