Today is a day that comes out of need, acknowledgement and reflection. To look back and know the history and vow not to act in complacency or in its repetition or upheaval. The treatment of Indigenous peoples by the governments of Canada have been abhorrent and we refuse to stand idly. We pledge to learn, and we pledge to do better.

When it comes to doing better, we aim to learn about the land we live on. Head on over to https://native-land.ca/ to find out more accurate details about the traditional lands where you’re located.

If you’d like to learn more about BC specifically, check out 150 Years and Counting: a new open-access, multi-media resource that documents how this recent cycle of anti-racist activism is part of a broader history of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities challenging white supremacy for over 150 years – particularly since 1871 when BC joined Canada. https://www.challengeracistbc.ca/

A great resource for learning more about how four First Nations have been affected by struggles involving policy, survival, and identity is on the National Film Board’s blog: Indigenous Resistance and Culture: Four Films Depicting the First Nations Struggle for Survival and Identity.

And while we can learn through the experiences of others and situations that have taken Canada to where it is today, we acknowledge that the living experience of First Nations, Indigenous Peoples, and all those people displaced by colonization is truer now more than ever. The fight for language, stories, and culture are all ongoing, important battles and should be championed.

We have taken steps to build on our existing company policies, to attempt and create inclusive creative experiences for the artists we work with and the audiences we perform for.

This process is ongoing, and if you’d like to add to the conversations LML is having with regards to theatre, we welcome you as a guest of our next BIPOC Youth Action Committee meeting. Please email matt@littlemountainlion.com for more information.