Avling will be open tomorrow, Thursday July 1st. We will be donating 15% of our sales to RAVEN Trust, an organization we have a longtime partnership with. RAVEN Trust is this country’s only NGO working with Indigenous Nations to defend their rights with access to the courts by raising legal defence funds.
We understand if many associate positive memories and traditions with July 1, but we recognize that many people do not. This July 1st, we will pause and reflect, and treat this day as an opportunity for learning and action. We can wear orange instead of red and white. We will spend time educating ourselves about Indigenous history and we will look to celebrate Indigenous arts and culture. We urge you to do the same, even if it’s only for a moment.
We recognize that this is only a small step forward, and we aim to support indigenous communities more fully, and stand in solidarity with them during this painful time. We hope, in time, that we can live in a Canada that everyone can celebrate. For now, it is time to listen, reflect, and act.
In the spirit of amplifying Indigenous voices and organizations, what follows is an incomplete list of demonstrations to participate in and groups to support. There are many more:
RAVEN Trust raventrust.com
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society www.irsss.ca
First Nations Child & Family Caring Society @spiritbearandfriends
Indspire @indspire.ca
Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports https://nctr.ca/records/reports/
Every Child Matters Walk: July 1st, beginning at Toronto Council Fire (439 Dundas st. East, Toronto) (@tocouncilfire)
Patricia Ballantyne’s Walk of Sorrow @walk_of_sorrow
Ojibiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network ojibiikaan.com
Anishnawbe Health Toronto https://aht.ca
Reconciliation Canada: reconciliationcanada.ca
Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund: downiewenjack.ca
Native Women’s Resource Center of Toronto - nwrct.ca
Native Canadian Resource Center - ncct.on.ca
The Indigenous Support Project - www.tispinfo.org
Further resources, events, and organizations: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/06/29/cancelling-canada-day-consider-doing-this-to-support-indigenous-communities.html
Is there an organization that we missed, that you would like to share? Please add it in the comments below.