Protecting Sacred Indigenous Burial Sites in Canada

Abstract

This paper was originally written for Dr. David Chariandy, English 209: Race, Borders, Empire. The assignment asked students to provide a clear thesis (argument) on a film or book-length text from the course, and exhibit your own independent research on relevant social or literary issues. The paper uses MLA citation style.

Since European contact with North America, Indigenous peoples and their identities have continuously been attacked and threatened. Sacred burial practices have been a part of Indigenous cultures for hundreds of years. Leanne Simpson’s book, Islands of Decolonial Love: Stories and Songs, is used to demonstrate how traditional cultural practices interconnect with the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples. This interconnection is severed by colonizers and settlers who destroy sacred burial sites. The Canadian government fails to protect sacred burial sites even after messages of reconciliation. Locating and protecting sacred burial sites would be key to reconnect Indigenous peoples to their ancestral grounds.