Real Canadians aren’t Racist – A Call to Stand with Indigenous Communities

Racist sentiment & threats are on the rise

As a child, Canada Day was a magical experience.

Gripping my disintegrating paper-stemmed flag in my sticky fingers, I would stare agape at the fireworks – mouth open.

Years later, at hockey games, my heart would swell with pride as thousands of voices joined in singing our National anthem.

As a traveller, a Canadian flag on my backpack all but assured smiles and welcomes.

For years, I considered myself a proud Canadian – the antithesis to the tasteless warmongering bully of our big brother to the south.

Canada’s dirty little secret

Then I learned about Canada’s dirty little secret – the methodical and ongoing attempts at genocide of Indigenous and First Nations people; the Residential school system, the over 4400 currently Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

In my role as the founder of Remarkable Communications – an agency that exists to support Indigenous leaders and communities preserve language and culture and amplify their accomplishments – I’ve sat with countless Indigenous Elders and heard absolutely horrific stories, holding back my white tears.

I have received hundreds of emails needing to reschedule due to another tragic death and funeral. I have driven past reserve signs that declare the opioid crisis a state of emergency – entire generations of teens and children decimated.

I’ve been to communities where the drinking water is poison, and almost everyone over 30 has cancer.

Under our very noses in Canada is an ongoing Human Rights crisis.

Indigenous communities are undergoing very real, ongoing and needless suffering, which was heard across the world when the first 215 children’s bodies were found in Kamloops.

When Trudeau responded with his commitment to Reconciliation, to uphold the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation report, and signed onto UNDRIP, I had a bit of hope things would improve for Indigenous Canadians.

People of all races and backgrounds joined in solidarity with Indigenous communities, sharing in the grief and standing up to demand better treatment.

Since then, leadership in Canada has changed, we lived through a pandemic, and now find ourselves managing tariffs, inflation and a new level of concerning behaviour from the President down south.

Indigenous issues faded into the background of public interest. Until this summer’s Cowichan vs Canada case ruling came out from the Supreme Court. Declaring Aboriginal Rights and Title over much of Richmond, BC.

BC Premier Eby has responded by inferring Indigenous people aren’t “real people” and that BC Supreme court ruling upholding Aboriginal Rights and Title should “worry” settlers about losing their homes and businesses.

The Premier is casting blame on Indigenous communities rather than his failure to negotiate, which is exactly what led to the necessary escalation to the courts.

Racism is on the rise, again.

What we’ve seen in response is a deeply worrying uptick in negative sentiment towards Indigenous people, communities, and organizations.

Source: Remarkable Communications sentiment analysis Dec 2025

It feels like a massive backwards slide to an era of racism and Nationalism based on predominantly white culture.

Reading these comments, I am astonished.

There are Canadians who believe Indigenous people don’t have the same rights to clean water, nutritious food, safe housing, freedom of speech and beliefs and access to economic opportunities as every other Canadian citizen.

The belief we can’t – as settlers and immigrants – make some space, share our resources and respect each other’s differences is in stark contrast to the Canada I believed I lived in.

Our National identity is tied to a deep acceptance and welcoming of people of all cultures; a place where millions have moved for an opportunity for a better life.

The fact is, reconciliation is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (35) and United Nation Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It’s not going away, and it shouldn’t.

History shows us that when economic times are hard, and division is sown by politicians by casting blame on a particular ethnicity of people we are not far from atrocious behaviour.

Personally, I am worried about further violence to an already vulnerable population.

In a meeting just before the holidays, a woman admitted they had to pull their photos and email addresses from their website as she’d received threats and someone emailed her a photo of herself.

We’ve been asked to disable comments on many of our client’s social media platforms. The comments coming from non-Indigenous Canadians are ignorant at best and hateful, racist and threatening at worst.

I believe we have an urgent moral responsibility as settlers to use our privilege to take a stand with our Indigenous communities and say; racism, hate speech and ignorance is not acceptable and it will not be tolerated.

Call for non-Indigenous Canadians to stand with Indigenous Communities

  1. We need to speak up and ensure our Indigenous community members aren’t facing this onslaught of regressive hate alone.

  2. We need to continue to call out and educate other settlers on inaccurate, racist and ignorant beliefs

  3. We need to share resources, education and information that promote understanding and empathy.

  4. We need to actively participate in reconciliation – a lack of action is complicity with the status quo.

Don’t know where to start?

Spread the word – please share this post.

Laurel Anne Stark