National Aboriginal Day

Finally! Yesterday the issues accessing my computer were resolved.

This morning I listened to CBC from Toronto and their live National Aboriginal Day broadcast from Nathan Phillips Square. It seems an unlikely setting for a sacred fire yet city hall in the heart of Canada's largest city was once Native land. The organizers say that this was the largest crowd yet, hundreds of people gathered at five o'clock in the morning.



There are days when I wonder whether we will very get beyond the indifference and systemic racism of a country where we pride ourselves on inclusion yet continue to treat our first nations as second class citizens, at best. Yet today's recognition across the country is encouraging. As always we have to ask if this will translate into the honouring of commitments by our federal and provincial governments to eradicate poverty, provide decent water and education, and protect the most vulnerable.

I pray that the United Church and other communities of faith will provide leadership in keeping these issues before the governments and that Canadians will understand that these are matters of justice, not charity.

Thoughts?