Multicultural Day Celebrates Canada -150 while recognizing indebtedness to First Nations People.

In the summer of 1993. a group of youth traveled across Canada on a bus called Peace Bus ’93. They came from diverse backgrounds and their mission was to foster friendship between the many different peoples that make up our great country. Squamish was a stop along the way where they were hosted by the Squamish Nation and spent one night bunking down at the old Totem Hall. Gwen Harry and Donna Billy put out a call to local church and religious groups to help with food and hospitality. The local Sikh and Baha’i Communities responded and something wonderful was set in motion. Everyone had such a good time, sharing food, stories and music. Friendships were forged and all decided that this coming together to share and celebrate each other’s diversity must continue. Multicultural Day at Totem Hall was born. This event is now celebrated in February each year with an ever increasing level of diversity participating and contributing to the success of the event. See blog posts for most recent Multicultural Day updates.

Description that follows is from the 2018 event. Multicultural Day at Totem Hall was marked this year by a ceremonial canoe pull up the Mamquam Blind Channel to the Stawamus Village site. The ocean going canoe was organized by Tsawaysia (Alice Gus). Paddlers included Squamish Nation members, district officials and volunteers. Mayor Patricia Heintzman and Councillor Susan Chapelle represented the district in what was a bracing effort against the wind and chop. A courtesy dinghy from Squamish Yacht Club escorted them during the passage.

The celebration was opened by elders Gwen Harry and Donna Billy with Mayor Heintzmein presenting a poem that spoke from the heart of broken relationships and the need for true reconciliation. Over 300 participants enjoyed the shared food and cultural presentations that followed. Feast was prepared by Squamish Nation, Sikh Community and Baha’i Community. Cultural presentations included Bhangra dancing, Filipino and World Folk Dancing as well as vendor tables and a children’s art project.

See below poem offered by Patricia Heinztman at opening ceremony which marked 150 years of Colonization in Canada.

Truth, reconciliation.

Is more than an apology and deprecation

a prayer to remove a stain upon our nation,

a shame rooted in colonial aspiration.

This Failure of Christianity,

of humanity,

our arrogance and vanity,

is Canada’s unfortunate profanity.

Our era without sanity,

With complete disregard and without

consideration,

deference and dignity, and with near surgical

ablations,

we systematically cut the First Nations,

demoralized generations,

destroyed languages and cultures to the quick’

realpolitick

So it’s time to be introspective.

Not just remember our history selective.

150 years we’ve been in denial

of this bias we must reconcile.

The art of the possible is what I choose,

It’s harmony that we should collectively infuse

to rectify this system of abuse.

A country’s consciousness to transfuse.

With prisms new and a sense of hope,

positive reflections viewed through a common

kaleidoscope,

evolving patterns, transparent, rotating perspectives

engender a uniquely Canadian antidote.

We’re birds of a feather,

in the same canoe pulling together.

After all, humanism is Canada’s shared endeavor,

everyone’s welfare our promotion, our devotion…

Whatsoever

C’est notre raison d’etre, it’s in our DNA.

And it’s why we’re here to celebrate Canada Day

We all need to hear what our first peoples have to

say to usher in a brighter day.

O’siem