Serena Ryder Instagram – Repost • @ishkoderecords The month of June has become a time for celebrating the beauty and resilience of Indigenous cultures and communities. For months we had been planning to celebrate the launch of Ishkode Records on June 24th. But June 24th was not a day for celebrating. We needed to stop, hold our plans and join Indigenous people across Turtle Island in solemn respect for our lost children and our grieving families.
We are truly excited to do the work, amplify new music in the world and share important stories. But the first order of business for Ishkode Records needs to be this…
#CallToAction:
Many have called for this July 1st to be different: cancelled, quieted, renamed, reimagined. We are feeling this too and we also see the necessity for a deep and seismic change. We need a #FullStop. Canadians cannot continue as normal and turn away from these truths.
We will not be celebrating Canada on July 1st. Instead, we are holding our communities and families close. We are taking time for ceremony and care. We are processing our grief and honouring our survivors and those who were never returned home.
Murray Sinclair once said we must “…understand [the] truth of Canada’s Indigenous history if we truly want to move forward.”
Our teachings speak about the seven generations and how every action or inaction we take right now impacts seven generations in the future. What future will we dream for those yet to come?
We are calling on our friends, partners, allies and accomplices in the music industry to join us, and others, on July 1st, to take pause to reflect, honour, respect and remember all that we have lost and the incredible strength, brilliance and grace that remains.
It is easy to fall into silence and inertia. This is a time for action, listening, compassion, and learning. We ask you to make space for Indigenous voices. Make space for change.
There needs to be a #NewPathForward #HonourTheTruth
This July 1st, stand with us in solidarity.
Demonstrate your support by sharing one or all three of these orange squares, and amplify Indigenous voices. | Posted on 01/Jul/2021 00:48:35
