thanksgiving in Canada...a melting pot for your assimilation?

We recently visited the Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg... I cried at learning how deep racism runs in this country. We are not the amazing melting pot of culture I was taught to believe in school. We are, however a place where you can melt away your culture to assimilate.

As I read the atrocities against the Doukhobor, Ukrainian, Austrian, Hutterite, Roma, German, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, or First Nations, Metis; I thought to myself,
"how is this different than what we are thinking, saying, and doing in present day Canada?"

I hear the fear of different cultures entering Canada, because they might be terrorists... actually they are fleeing a terror. They are fleeing a tyrannical leader supported by countries who think it's right. Reminds me of the supporting days of Hitler, and there were years of world support.

It's time to make amends and speak our past to heal our present.

I am grateful to be living in a safe country, city and home. I am grateful to those before me that died building my roads, bridges and buildings. I am aware that I have been steeped in so much much racism that growing up the Hutterites were bad, Indians were to be feared, and that Chinese were scary.

I see now that different is beautiful, brave, and strong. I see now that 'they' paid for my safety with their blood, sweat, tears and 'their' lives.

I give thanks for their ancestral pain. I give thanks for new families to come to Canada in order to teach me gratitude and humility.

to your traditions and our healing,
happy thanksgiving.