Reclaiming Burlesque - Truth & Reconciliation

Content Awareness: This post will speak to the history of colonization, including residential schools and the abuses that Indigenous children experienced within Canada. It will also touch on the intergenerational affects that are still felt and experienced today. Though Indigenous Peoples exist across the globe, this post is specifically discussing First Nations, Métis, Inuit identities and experiences within "Canada."

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Today is September 30. A day that is at the core of why so many Indigenous Peoples fight for a better future and for our future generations. Indigenous Nations and cultures are incredibly diverse, but one value that tends to be widely upheld by many Nations across Turtle Island is that children are at the centre. And when governments target those at the centre, it's cultural genocide.

Canadian Residential Schools operated between 1841 - 1997, where Indigenous children as young as 4 would be removed from their families and communities to assimilate. Children experienced physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and experimentation at these institutions. Many children didn't make it home.

2008 was the first time in history that a Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, acknowledged the government's role in the creation of Residential Schools and apologized. Between 2007 - 2015, the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada interviewed Residential School survivors and their families, which resulted in the creation of the TRC's 94 Calls to Action in 2015. That was also the same year that my own Nation, the Tahltan Nation, held their Coming Home Ceremony for survivors who attended. Despite many survivors returning home decades before, ceremony was not there upon their return, which was a common experience for many survivors. And 2021 was the year when so much of the public finally collectively woke up and accepted the truth. Colonization didn't end with Residential Schools, instead it transformed into the Sixtie's Scoop, now the Millenial Scoop, both still disproportionately target removing Indigenous children from their families and communities.

Though I am not a parent yet, it is something I am always conscious about for my future children. Will they be considered Indigenous by the government? Will they still have rights in Canada? Will Canada re-create institutions that will take them away? I hold a lot of privilege with my level of visibility and access to essential services compared to Indigenous people who are more visible or live on the Reserve. But even so, I am still concerned about my children's future. Canada has come a long way in finally acknowledging and addressing these continued harms, but there is still a long way to go. Despite the decades of advocacy and work being done by Indigenous Peoples, Residential School denialism is on the rise across Canada, harassing survivors and their families at times of mourning. Political parties are advocating for removing DRIPA, Indigenous Rights and Title, and the requirement for informed consent before developing on Indigenous land.

So why does this matter to burlesque? Because so many industry professionals in burlesque will wear an orange shirt and leave their allyship there. And many also don't do anything. We perform and live on stolen land: Everyone has a responsibility to uplift their local Nations. Burlesque is a space where so many turn towards to disconnect from reality and embrace celebration. It is also inherently political and a space where so many performers feel like they can share truth to encourage reflection and action in our audiences. But so often the politics onstage get lost offstage. Indigenous performers are still tokenized, we are pan-Indigenized, our teachings and ceremonies are appropriated, we are told to be calm and respectful in our advocacy. Emcee's will mispronounce Nation names in Land Acknowledgements or make jokes at hard to pronounce Indigenous words rather than take the time to practice in advance. And we exist in an industry where the song "Fever" is overused despite it's mention of John Smith and Pocahontas, and where many call burlesque their "Glitter Tribe." There are so many Indigenous performers and producers doing incredible work to lay the foundations for future generations, but the number of well recognized Indigenous leaders and performers are very limited.

When I learn about our Indigenous Burlesque Legends, so many of their stories mention trying to survive through colonization. Some Legends and their children were able to escape Residential Schools because they chose to be entertainers, visible in the public eye rather than hidden in a "school." And there were others who did attend Residential Schools still. Some Legends chose to send any earnings they made from showbusiness back to their families and communities, like Will Rogers and Molly Spotted Elk. Some used their visibility to subvert the "Indian vs Cowboy" tropes and Indigenous stereotypes by making their own stages like the Deer Family and Go-Won-Go Mohawk. And perhaps even most essential to survival is the connections these Legends were able to make with one another through touring circuits and sharing culture at a time when ceremony was banned. I see so many of the realities of Indigenous Legends reflected within our present realities, they've just transformed.

Today is a day of mourning and reflection, and it's also a day for us to continue the work to change our future. To me, Indigenous futures means protecting our children so they can become Elders who are proud of where they come from. It means Indigenous performers and producers aren't seen as an exception, but instead are expected and respected. And it means that Indigenous people are not just considered and included in projects, but are actively leading the way for innovation. To the Indigenous burlesque and drag performers, mēduh chō for everything that you bring to your art and the world around you. And to any non-Indigenous performers, may your allyship exist beyond wearing an orange shirt by standing alongside Indigenous people on and offstage.

I wrote this part back in 2023, and I still stand by it today.

Today is for our children who survived Residential Schools and continue to feel their impacts. The survivors of these institutions are strong and resilient. We must hold space for them and their experiences - today, and every day. As time moves forward, more Elders are leaving this realm and it is essential that we never forget their memory or their stories. 

Today is for our children who never made it home, but are still in our hearts and being searched for. Our people’s children are more than a memory or something to be sensationalized. They became ancestors too soon and we still hold them close to our hearts.

Today is for today’s children so they have a stronger tomorrow. We remember the past and continue to bring the truth forward, so we may never see history be repeated. We share our experiences, rebuild our cultures and practices, so our current and future generations have a foundation to grow and thrive within.

Residential Schools left intergenerational impacts. But we will not let it break our futures.

The last Residential School in Canada closed in 1997, less than 30 years ago. Today may be designated as a Day for Truth and Reconciliation. But we must not forget the heart of today: a day to remember and hold space for our shared history of Residential Schools and their continued impacts on Indigenous children and families. 

In 2021, the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc school findings were a wake up call when the world had nothing else to watch. Let’s not fall asleep.

“Truth and Reconciliation,” is both a very complex yet simple topic. Indigenous Peoples need action and people to show up when it matters most. But when we see many non-Indigenous people only show up once a year or when we’re in the news, reconciliation loses its meaning. Some of us struggle with whether we believe in reconciliation, but we still hold onto it because it’s the language we have. Or despite our internal struggles with it, we know it’s the path forward. Many Indigenous people have given many concrete and actionable steps that non-Indigenous people need to take, including the the Truth & Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action. The simplicity is doing them.

The work gets done when we open our hearts to hold space for those who need it, and when we allow those experiences to influence our actions for support.

Steps You Can Take

• Learn about, connect with and uplift your local Nations

• Understand your personal gaps in knowledge, bias, and privilege so you can learn and better show up for Indigenous Peoples

• Write to your local governments and representatives about important issues impacting Indigenous Peoples

• Read and understand your role in completing the TRC 94 Calls to Action, Reclaiming Power & Place 231 Calls for MMIWG2S, In Plain Sight, UNDRIP, and other reports surrounding Indigenous Rights and Title

• Stand with us on the front lines

• Attend Indigenous-led public events, vigils, demonstrations, workshops, markets, etc.

• Donate to Indigenous Organizations and grassroots movements. If you can’t afford to donate, many organizers are often looking for donations of food, clothes, toiletries, etc.

• Stand up with us when you see racism

• Correct people when you hear Indigenous stereotypes

• Pay for consulting with Indigenous people for your productions, hosting, etc.

• Talk with your families about our shared history, anti-racism, and what it means to decolonize our spaces. It starts at every age. 

What to Read

• They Called Me Number One by Bev Sellars

• Beyond the Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad

• Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

• 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph

For Younger Readers

• The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad

• I am Not a Number by Kathy Kacer

• When We Were Alone by David Robertson

• When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton

• Speaking Our Truth by Monique Gray Smith

Where to Learn within Burlesque:

• Interviews with Virago Nation

• Interviews with Lou Lou la Duchess de Rière

• Tipi Confessions Speaker Series

• Gathering Our Productions: Producing Through a Decolonial Lens course by Cherry Cheeks

• Decolonizing Burlesque History courses by Bella Sin