Arts

'There needs to be a reckoning in this country': This Canada Day, consider Christi Belcourt's words

July 1 marks the 150th anniversary of Canada's nationhood. But before getting swept up in celebrations, take a moment to think about what this milestone means.

'That is how Canada came about — it was through the genocide of Indigenous peoples'

Christi Belcourt: "There needs to be a reckoning in this country"

7 years ago
Duration 1:10
In its 150th year, Métis visual artist Christi Belcourt asks Canada to reckon with Canada's foundation on the dispossession of Indigenous people.

July 1, 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Canada's nationhood. But before you get swept up in the celebrations, take a moment to think about what this milestone means.

"Canada was born on first the coveting, the desire for Indigenous lands and then the dispossession of Indigenous people," Métis visual artist and writer Christi Belcourt explained at our Creative Minds discussion earlier this year. "That is how Canada came about — it was through the genocide of Indigenous peoples."

"And if we do not reconcile that, then there will never be reconciliation in this country."

Belcourt is just one of the many Indigenous artists sharing a more critical perspective on #Canada150. This Canada Day, her words are an important reminder of our history.

Watch the Creative Minds conversation on Art and Nationhood here.