Canada's 150th ... what does it mean?

 
Graeme MacKay at his blog
Some people don’t want to celebrate Canada 150, and that’s okay
 
As Canada gets set to blow out candles representing 150 years of being a nation some very loud voices are trying to drown out some of the cheering and hoots of celebration. Indigenous peoples are marking July 1 as a day to remind maple leaf flag waving people that it is in fact a day to celebrate colonialism, institutional racism, broken treaties, and genocide of first nations. It has added a very interesting twist and pause for thought on a usually sanguine and relaxing Summer holiday in Canada. It contrasts greatly with the comparatively optimistic and boosterish Canada we know from the hued and grainy films and memories of Canada’s centennial year. Not everyone in Canada is celebrating Canada150, and that’s okay......