How Brands Can Support Indigenous Communities on Social Media – The Right Way
There is growing interest among businesses large and small to join the nationwide recognition of the trauma inflicted on Indigenous children in Canadian Indian boarding schools.
This intensified in 2021 with the discovery of nearly a thousand unmarked graves at the site of now-closed institutions, and we know that thousands more remain to be discovered.
On National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, it’s important for Indigenous peoples (and, frankly, for non-Indigenous peoples) to see companies and brands honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the 165-year-old assimilation program.
It is also important for us natives to see how they pay tribute to those who lived through their years in the infamous schools.
But using the hashtag #TruthAndReconciliation or #EveryChildMatters can be risky. There are many ways to make a well-intentioned mistake that will cause native Canadians to roll their eyes, or worse, accidentally post something outright offensive.
That’s why I wrote this blog post. I am a Métis woman and a lawyer, and since 2017 I have been the CEO of the Indigenous Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), the largest organization representing Indigenous women in Canada.
Me and other Indigenous women who follow social media prepare for September 30th, anticipating the inevitable clumsy attempt by non-Indigenous actors to take part in the celebration.
Please don’t misunderstand me. We want you to be with us when we mourn, remember and honor. We just want you to do it with respect. So, here are some recommendations.
What is National Day of Truth and Reconciliation? How is it different from Orange Shirt Day? And how should we call it on social media?
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was declared by the Government of Canada in 2021 after graves were discovered in boarding schools for Indians.
(Note: “Indian Boarding Schools”is the official name of the schools and a construct of 19th century colonial thinking in Canada . In any other context, the word “Indians”is highly offensive when used to refer to the original inhabitants of Turtle Island.)
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honor the victims and survivors of schools. And it’s a federal statutory holiday, so it applies to all federally regulated jobs. But the provinces and territories were given the choice of whether it would be flagged within their own jurisdiction.
We note that it took the federal Liberal Government of Canada (which took office in 2015 and pledged to act on all 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission) almost seven years to implement the relatively simple call number 80. It called for the creation of holiday “to ensure that the public memorialization of the history and heritage of boarding schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
There is no doubt that the discovery of graves, which the Truth and Reconciliation report says will be found if efforts are made to find them, bolstered public support for such a day.
September 30th should be considered our Day of Remembrance and should be called by its official name: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Any other name fails to capture the grimness of the event, just as it minimizes Memorial Day by calling it Poppy Day.
September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, reminding us of the day in 1973 when six-year-old Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation Phyllis Webstad arrived at St. Joseph’s Mission Boarding School, near Williams Lake, British Columbia.
She wore a bright orange shirt her grandmother bought her to match her excitement before her first day of school. But the shirt was immediately taken from her by the school authorities and never returned, an event that marked the beginning of the year of atrocities and torment she endured in the institution.
On September 30, we wear orange shirts as a reminder of the trauma caused by boarding schools. If you’re specifically referring to Phyllis’ social media story, it’s appropriate to call it Orange Shirt Day.
But this holiday is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, and it should be called that.
What terms should be used when talking about indigenous peoples? (Terminology 101)
Speaking of terminology, when is it appropriate to call someone Indigenous, Mestizo, or Inuit, and when is it appropriate to call someone Indigenous?
First, here’s what these different terms actually mean:
- First Nations: The largest First Nations group in Canada, with 634 First Nations scattered across the country.
- Métis: A distinct group of people with an ancestral connection to a group of French Canadian traders and First Nations women who settled in the Red River Valley of Manitoba and the Prairies.
- Inuit: Indigenous to the Arctic and subarctic regions.
- Indigenous people: The first peoples of North America, whose ancestors lived here before the arrival of Europeans.
Next, where to use them: It’s always best to be as specific as possible when describing us on social media.
Here is a quick guide on how to best contact Indigenous people:
- Specify the person’s specific First Nation and its location.
- Reference to the nation and ethno-cultural group of a person
- Please indicate your ethno-cultural group
- Call them Indigenous, Mestizo or Inuit.
- Refer to a person as native
So if someone is a Cree from the Waswanipi Indigenous Cree Nation, say so. Secondly, it would be best to call them Vaswanipi Cree. Thirdly, it would be best to call them Cree. Fourth, it would be best to call them representatives of indigenous peoples.
And fifth, it would be best to call them Indigenous, which is a catch-all phrase that includes all Indigenous peoples, Mestizos and Inuit. But it also includes all the indigenous peoples of the world. The Maori of New Zealand are the original inhabitants.
To say that someone is native is like calling a Chinese an Asian. This is true. But it misses a lot of details.
If you don’t know how best to describe someone, ask us. Preferences vary from person to person.
But please, even though my organization is called the Native Women’s Association of Canada, which is a holdover from a much earlier time (NWAC was formed in 1974), please don’t call natives “native”.
What role should brands play on social media on September 30th?
At NWAC, our National Day of Truth and Reconciliation hashtag is #RememberHonourAct. We think these are good recommendations for everyone – both individuals and companies – on September 30 and, in fact, all year round.
Remember boarding school survivors, honor them and act to strengthen relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
If you are a local business, pay homage to the indigenous people in your area. Recognize their traditional territory. Recognize that your operations take place on the land they share with you and that you and your employees benefit from it.
If you represent a national brand, look again at the indigenous communities. Highlight the achievements and contributions of Indigenous Peoples to Canada’s prosperity.
Yes, September 30 is a dark day of remembrance. But we don’t want pity. We want an acknowledgment of past mistakes and a promise that they will not be repeated, but we also want to accept the promise of a better future in which indigenous peoples can live prosperous and happy lives, free from historical trauma.
Are there other significant days that brands should keep in mind for Indigenous peoples?
Yes.
There are other dark days.
Less than a week after National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous women across Canada will gather at the Vigil of the Sisters in Spirit to honor the women, girls, and people of all genders who have lost their lives in the ongoing genocide that haunts us for violence. This annual event is designed to support and comfort families and friends who have been mourning their loved ones.
On February 14, Valentine’s Day, annual marches in memory of women are held in cities across Canada and the United States. They are also meant to honor the memory of indigenous women and girls who have been killed or gone missing.
And on May 5th we celebrate Red Dress Day, a day when red dresses are hung in windows and public places across Canada, again to honor the memory of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
But there are also happy occasions.
Although no specific date has been set, summer is the time of collection. It’s powwow season. Autumn is the time when we traditionally rejoice in the bounty of the hunt.
On June 21st, the summer solstice, we celebrate National Indigenous Day. This is a day when we celebrate our heritage, our diverse cultures and the contributions Indigenous peoples make to the complex fabric of Canadian life.
What social media mistakes are brands making on September 30th?
The most egregious examples of brand behavior around National Day of Truth and Reconciliation are attempts to monetize our pain for financial gain.
If you own a clothing company, please do not print a batch of orange shirts and sell them for profit. And don’t promote your T-shirt sales on social media. This happens every year and it’s extremely offensive.
On the other hand, printing and selling orange shirts and then passing on the profits to the indigenous people is a wonderful gesture of support.
And it’s not just small brands that do this. Walmart, for example, is promising to donate 100% of profits from its Every Child Matters T-shirts, which were designed by an indigenous artist, to the Orange Shirt Society.
Be a brand that does something similar.
In all your social media posts, remember that this is our story. Every native Canadian has been touched by the boarding school experience, whether we or our ancestors attended one of these institutions. Be aware of the injuries that can be caused by thoughtless words.
And again, the indigenous people are where we do not need and do not need pity. We need people to celebrate our accomplishments. We need to feel part of a society that seeks to accept us.
What opportunities exist for intersection between indigenous peoples and other social movements?
In a word: a lot.
If the issue of social justice is being championed—whether it’s pride in a gender-diverse community, or climate justice, or prisoner rights, or racial equality—you’ll find that indigenous peoples are at the forefront.
My organization is an example. We have whole units of staff working on all these things.
Contact us or other National Indigenous Organizations (we list some below) to learn about ways you can get involved, projects you can promote, and causes you can support.
This is a great opportunity to collaborate with indigenous authors who are passionate about a larger social issue.
How can brands work with Indigenous content creators?
Find them and ask. There are many out there. Any search engine will quickly find hundreds of names of Indigenous content creators and influencers, and many of them will want to partner with you.
What indigenous organizations can support or partner with brands?
Most national indigenous organizations are looking for partners. We have great partnerships at NWAC with brands like Sephora, Hootsuite and TikTok.
@tiktokcanada Applications for the TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators are now open! Indigenous creators, apply by September 15 ?
But there are also smaller groups that would love to hear from you.
One example that immediately comes to mind is the Forest Project in Alberta, which works in partnership with Indigenous communities to restore sacred lands so that medicinal plants and native species can once again thrive in Indigenous communities.
There are also a number of organizations that work tirelessly to improve the lives of Indigenous, Métis and Inuit peoples.
I would point to the Canadian Society for the Care of Indigenous Children and Families, the Susan Aglukark Arctic Rose Foundation, the Martin Family Initiative, or the Indian Boarding School Survivors Society.
These are just some of them. And, of course, there is the NWAC – we work tirelessly for the benefit of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirits, and genders.
What are some examples of brands that properly support and/or illuminate Indigenous communities?
Many brands are doing everything right. I’ll mention again the cosmetics company Sephora, which partnered with the NWAC to host an Indigenous Beauty Roundtable to find out what they could improve. And they acted according to their knowledge.
I would point to the National Hockey League, which unequivocally condemned racism against indigenous hockey players. The Calgary Flames opened their season with ground recognition.
Ahead of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation #Flames wore orange jerseys for morning skating and tonight the day will be recognized before the puck is thrown ? pic.twitter.com/appz0sN7c9
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 29, 2021
This would not have happened 10, maybe even five years ago. But society is changing, corporate behavior is changing, the world is changing. And social networks have had and will have a lot to do with this.
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