Tamil Canadian settlers must build a trusting partnership with Canada’s Indigenous peoples
We must learn Canada’s ‘dark, dreadful history,’ says Ramya Amuthan
Opinion – Scarborough Mirror
The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) held its 13th annual Tamil Canadian Walk at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough on Sept. 12.
Though the feel of the walk was different this year, with limited in-person presence and a strong virtual push, proceeds will go toward supporting the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF), a not-for-profit valuing the journey toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Vithusayni Paramanathan and myself, the co-chairpersons of this year’s walk, are two young Tamil women who are incredibly excited for the prospects of an ongoing, respectful relationship among the Tamil community and the Indigenous communities in Canada.
We hope that the country, and the Tamil community within it, will come together to build a much-needed, trusting partnership.
We have a responsibility to listen to our neighbours, and the people who’ve let us into their country.
It’s difficult to reopen past wounds and realize that we’ve been hearing only one side of the story, but we have to start somewhere, so let’s start here.
By holding this walk, and through the continued partnership with DWF, the CTC is aiming to educate Tamil Canadian settlers to recognize and acknowledge the dark, dreadful history Canada was built on, and learn about the sustained struggles and injustices experienced by the Indigenous people of this land.
Given the recent recoveries of unmarked graves at former residential school sites within Canada, the CTC strongly urges Tamil Canadians to identify the collective responsibility to increase our awareness of Canada’s history and peoples and take tangible action in partnership with Indigenous communities toward reconciliation.
“As an immigrant community, we have to recognize that we all benefited from the stewardship of the land by Indigenous peoples. It is our privilege to hold out a hand of friendship to the Indigenous peoples in Canada,” says Sivan Ilangko, CTC’s president.
Over the last 12 years, CTC’s Tamil Canadian Walk has raised funds to support several Canadian initiatives, including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Sampur Housing Project. This year, the CTC is strong in its goal to improve the lives of Indigenous peoples by building awareness of Canada’s past, encouraging Canadians to build a kinder future together and embracing positive connections among all Canadians.
Ramya Amuthan is a producer and presenter at Accessible Media Inc., a national broadcaster creating and curating content for Canadians with disabilities.