Indigenous presence beyond land acknowledgements
Music, academia and food are important parts of our everyday lives, so why don’t we ensure Indigenous voices are present and celebrated in all of them?
Last year, I wrote an editorial arguing that land acknowledgements were performative and empty gestures. I still stand by that statement today and continue to reflect on how we can better uplift and spotlight Indigenous voices. We must continue to hold Canada accountable for its years of exploitation and ongoing neglect of Indigenous communities today, but this should not be our sole focus.
While land acknowledgements are important, they do not do enough to create meaningful change, and are often treated as a checklist to be completed rather than a commitment to action. Here, I will highlight how we can create more opportunities for Indigenous presence in the everyday spaces that influence our culture, education, and communities.
Indigenous voices to the main stage
I love music. It’s there when I drive, fold laundry, or wash the dishes. Even when I’m not looking for it, it finds me at the mall, the grocery store, and through TikTok and Instagram Reels. Music is a huge part of our world, and we see lots of representation from different cultures and ethnicities across the industry. But the representation for Indigenous voices in the music industry is still lacking.
Many artists are discovered through other artists and music figures who invite them on tours as openers or feature them in a song or album. Last month, I saw a video clip of Shawn Mendes, the Canadian singer we all know and love, inviting Cree and Salish singer Tia Wood to his Vancouver concert on October 12. Wood incorporated Indigenous vocals and beats into the song’s tune while Mendes played his guitar.
I also recall going to a Coldplay concert this year in July, and one of the first things that caught my eye was the band inviting youth from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in Ontario to perform a prayer in the Ojibway language as well as a traditional welcome and song. I was beyond happy seeing Indigenous representation alongside famous names like Shawn Mendes and Coldplay, for it signalled an important step in acknowledging Indigenous talent and presence in the music world.
Artists inviting Indigenous artists or Indigenous communities to their stage is a powerful gesture that shows inclusion can manifest in many ways, even within the music industry. Other artists should follow along in these footsteps to ensure Indigenous voices are amplified and present, especially when performing on occupied land.
Indigenous thought in academia
I took a course about critical Indigenous and decolonial thought in my Master’s program. This is not the first time I have taken a course in this field. I entered the course expecting to know most of the curriculum, as I have studied colonialism and the mistreatment of Indigenous communities during my undergraduate degree, but I was wrong.
In the course, I was not only learning about things I did not know before, but I was also engaging in important and thought-provoking discussions with my peers about critical issues, from the lack of clean water in Indigenous reserves to the lack of Indigenous scholars in academia. One of the issues that stuck with me was one my classmates brought up: we never truly learned about Indigenous colonialism in high school, or before.
Before taking these courses, I never truly understood or paid much attention to Indigenous issues. I became more passionate and more conscious once I entered my undergraduate studies, but why did I not feel this way before? Why are Indigenous histories and voices treated as optional lessons rather than essential parts of our education? Shouldn’t we learn about the land and territory we’re occupying? If we are not learning this in school, when will we?
We must learn about topics like Indigenous self-determination and the historical and ongoing oppression of Indigenous communities in our education, so we can be aware of Canada’s history, address these issues, and work toward meaningful change. Universities and academic institutions should also provide scholarships and grants for Indigenous students and scholars to increase Indigenous presence in the academic field, so we can truly learn about these issues, not just from scholars, but through the lived experiences and insights of Indigenous peoples themselves.
Indigenous cuisine
Living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), I have tried many cuisines, from Lebanese, Greek, Nigerian, Thai, Indian, and so much more. Finding food from a culture is not hard in this area, especially if you visit the infamous Ridgeway Plaza. Not to mention, Toronto is where you find Little Italy and Little Jamaica to try some of the tastiest cultural and traditional foods. Many of us are immigrants, and when we miss a taste of our home, it is not hard for us to find it through the array of restaurants in the GTA. But why can’t Indigenous communities access the taste of their home in their own home? We have several restaurants featuring countless cultures across the world, yet Indigenous cuisines remain invisible.
The absence is not just about food, but a reflection of how Indigenous culture is overlooked even in places where it belongs. Food is another huge part of our lives, and we need to increase Indigenous presence through food to celebrate their rich history and provide them with spaces to connect to their land that has been theirs before we called it our own.
Music, academia, and food are three huge aspects of our lives, and Indigenous presence in each of these spaces matters deeply. Representation is not just about visibility, it’s about respect, inclusion and giving Indigenous communities control over the spaces they belong in. If we are serious about acknowledging history and highlighting Indigenous communities, we must create opportunities for their voices to be heard and do more than limit our efforts to just land acknowledgements and performative gestures that give the appearance of action without creating real change.
