ReconciliACTION Resources:
Actions You Can Take to Help the Indigenous Community for National Indigenous History Month and Beyond
Become more aware of the truth about our painful history with so-called Canada, but also CELEBRATE our audacity and amazing culture! Hold space in your heart for all of what you’re feeling and processing yourself. Hold space for what we are going through. And help us to celebrate our beautiful culture. We are still here due to our incredible resilience and connection to Mother Earth. Join us in our celebration, not just in grief.
Looking to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day?
APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) does a virtual event every year, televised and livestreamed.
We just had our annual Indigenous History Month & Summer Solstice Virtual Retreat. Enjoy the replay below!
If you want to celebrate in-person, there are plenty of local events, so just look up the ones closest to you.
Buy your #OrangeShirtDay t-shirt from a legitimate Indigenous source that gives proceeds to appropriate organizations.
BUYER BEWARE! Especially around June (National Indigenous History Month) and leading up to September 30th (Orange Shirt Day), there are a LOT of non-Indigenous fast fashion websites posting “orange shirt” ads on social media, with designs stolen from real Indigenous artists. They do not give a penny to Indigenous causes, instead profiting off the backs of Indigenous people. Do your research.
Make a contribution to a local Indigenous organization like Anduhyaun (Indigenous women’s shelter and healing lodge in Toronto, both of which helped me) or Minwaashin Lodge (I’ve been working with them for over 20 years, in Ottawa and virtually).
Take the virtual Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training, a certificate course offered by Maya Chacoby through York University (Glendon College). I did, and it’s an amazing, very thoughtfully put together training! Highly recommend for decolonizing your life, managing trauma and learning through a unique Indigenous lens.
Take the Indigenous Canada virtual course offered by University of Alberta (Canada) or Coursera (U.S.). Free or if you want you can donate or pay for the certificate.
Amplify Indigenous businesses – June is National Indigenous History Month here in Canada. You’d be surprised how impactful a simple share over social media with your personal recommendation, or a referral to a friend can be.
Leave a Google review after your purchase or experience of their work!
When purchasing spiritual supplies or gifts for loved ones, stop buying from non-Indigenous new age stores (most of the sage you get from there is unethically harvested anyway).
Seek out Indigenous sources, like Healing Bear Remedies (I have several of their salves), or Tribal Spirit (where I send everyone for drums/drumming supplies, and they have sage, sweetgrass and other traditional plant medicines as well).
DIRECTORIES FULL OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S BUSINESSES AND BRANDS:
#BetheDrum Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Directory, by Native Women’s Association of Canada.
#ShopIndigenous Women’s Market on Facebook, also by Michele Young-Crook. By invitation only. You may need to friend request me to be added – if you do, drop me a fb message letting me know who you are. I screen my requests.
INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S BUSINESSES WE LOVE:
@yukonsoapscompany
@westcoast.wildflowers
@totemdesignhouse
@sisters_sage
@scarlettdesigns
@satyaorganic
@mswcreations (that’s me!)
@luna_and_owl
@lofttan
@lodgesoycandles
@aylelum
Gchi Miigwech! Hiy Hiy Mistahi! MANY THANKS! Whatever you can do to help Indigenous peoples thrive is much appreciated.
