The thing about Canada, is that I love it. I live in Nova Scotia, on a lake. Surrounded by trees. I am able to create and play music for a living. I am virtually free.
Travelling around the world, I learn just how lucky I am to live this way. But I also begin to see some things about our country that need our help before it's too late.
I know that I need help too. I need help as a non Indigenous person, to understand the history and lives of our Indigenous people.
For all of the beauty in this country, there is still racism, and it goes back a very long way. More than 150 years.
So what can I do to help?
Do you know how many beautiful indigenous children there are, right now, living under the poverty line in Canada? Half of all status First Nations children are living in poverty and that number goes up to more than 60% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. For Métis, non-status and Inuit children the number living in poverty is still shockingly high at 27%.
I have recently gotten to know an Organization called "Save the Children."
By aligning ourselves with organizations like this, we can help Indigenous children fight racism, improve nutrition and make sure they have clean water to drink, make their homes, schools and community infrastructure safer and support them in their efforts to claim their rights to their traditional language and culture.
We need to be part of the solution to empower Indigenous children to ensure they achieve their educational potential, to know their own language, and to know they are loved.
