Woah, why are those Indians walking around here like they own this land? Their costumes are weird.
Well actually, Indigenous people have lived on this land long before it was known as Canada.
but now, Indigenous communities only hold about 6.3% of land in Canada due to the The Indian Act, making it so that Indigenous peoples cannot own their proper land.
That sucks, but why do they have to wear all those clothes and have such long hair?
I'm glad you asked!
Scene change!
Their clothes and hair hold a lot of their identity! Every outfit holds centuries of stories and spiritual practices.
Their hair holds their strength and power. Longer hair represents a strong cultural identity.
Indigenous Regalia also reflects social order, gender and age.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that various cultures have different traditions than ours.
You’re right, since we’re not very used to it, it might seem a little strange at first.
Oh, well I’ve never seen or heard of this so it’s kind of weird, I guess. Not very normal to me.
For example, you’re Christian so you celebrate Christmas and Easter. And have your own traditions, like going to church, and receiving the holy bread.
Indigenous peoples celebrate the full moon, and the changing of solstices. Both traditions deserve the same amount of respect as anyone else’s, right?
That makes sense, I guess I’ve never thought about it this way. It would suck if someone made fun of my beliefs.
It's important to accept that Indigenous peoples deserve the same respect but it's equally important to learn about their history and community.
Indigenous peoples have faced a lot of discrimination and constantly struggle to have their voices heard. In the 1830s, residential schools were set up to assimilate indigenous culture
Assimilate? What does that mean?
Their goal was to “work to remove the Indian from [the] children so that the blessings of the lord may be evidenced upon them (Wagamese 47).
They would cut off their hair and ban them from speaking any language other than English, and their clothes would be far from their traditional dress.
What about now? Surely they can express themselves more freely, right? We don't have residential schools anymore.
I had no idea they went through that!
Even today, Indigenous traditions and spirituality are crucial to preserve after their intergenerational loss from the school system.
Just a simple act of wearing their traditional regalia helps preserve their practices today, and by respecting their traditions, we can help normalize their cultural expression!
It’s important to respect all cultures, and learn about their traditions and history!
And now that I know more, I definitely respect and understand their traditions and spirituality more.
I’m happy to learn more about Indigenous culture!
Also, their traditional clothing is pretty cool!
Right!
Respect is an important part of being a discerning believer, and it's up to us to be open minded to everyone around us!
Before judging someone who looks or acts differently, take a minute to learn more about their beliefs and traditions.Just because something is different than what you're used to doesn't make it weird, it's just something unfamiliar and worth learning about!
Here in this old way [they] may rediscover that and reclaim it as [their] own (26).
Despite their previous loss of culture, Indigenous peoples strive to express their traditions and spirituality as they did in the past.
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