After five hundred years they have finally seen it fit to give us aboriginals our very own day. Lucky for us we get to share it with the millions of fathers out there. That is just so typical. They give us a day and we end up having to share it. We give and give and give and still they want more. So what is it, do we get the morning or afternoon? Your non-aboriginal friends will come by shouting,”Happy aboriginal morning!” and leave you before the afternoon to celebrate father’s day with their dads.
What do normal everyday non-Natives think and feel about us? And do they know Natives personally? As my very generous gift to fellow aboriginals on National Aboriginal Day, I decided to do a quick phone poll to find out. I dialed phone numbers at random and received a few answers.
One person I called was immediately suspicious. “Who do you work for?” she demanded. “The federal government,” I lied. She wasn’t satisfied. “Which department?” “Indian Affairs,” I said. “Oh, okay.”
I asked if she knew of National Aboriginal Day. She didn’t. Then I asked if she had any aboriginal friends. Negative on that one too. “What does NAD mean to you?” I asked. “It’s a day for aboriginals to celebrate what they’ve done.” She did not specify what we have done.
I dialed another number. An older lady answered. She didn’t know about our day but proudly informed me her greatgrandfather was from “Caugnawaga.” My hopes went up a notch.
I placed another call. She wasn’t aware of NAD because she was too busy and didn’t read the papers. Still another person who answered was completely oblivious but she did know of two famous Natives. “There’s a singer, Susan Aglu.. I’m not sure about the names. I can picture them. There’s Greene or something.”
Someone in Ottawa had seen the advertisements but didn’t know any Natives personally. “Maybe through work. We see them right?” she said.
I decided to abandon the phones to look for ways to improve National Aboriginal Day and called together a few of my Native and non-Native colleagues and this is what we came up with.
Someone suggested Hallmark come out with a line of greeting cards:
“I know it’s five hundred years late but I mean it anyway. Happy belated aboriginal day.”
“Even though you’re not aboriginal you’ve always been like a Native to me (card for non-Native).”
A combination Aboriginal/Father’s Day card to save money and time.
Someone suggested some gift ideas you could give to the aboriginal in your life:A t-shirt that reads, “The government declared National Aboriginal day and all I gotwas this crappy t-shirt.”
Another one in the group had some gift ideas for your local aboriginal: The entire video collection of Graham Greene movies.For your musically inclined Native how about the complete Susan Aglukark and/or Buffy Ste. Marie songbook. And don’t forget the Geronimo tie.
Finally, the cherry on top. Special days should have their own songs so we came up withseveral you can choose from:
(SUNG TO THE TUNE OF
“WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS”)
We wish you a happy National Aboriginal Day We wish you a happy National Aboriginal Day We wish you a happy National Aboriginal Day and a Happy Father’s Day too.
(SUNG TO THE TUNE OF “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”)
Happy National Aboriginal Day to you.
Happy National Aboriginal Day to you.
Happy National Aboriginal Day dear (insert nation here)…
Happy National Aboriginal Day to you.
This one is everybody’s favourite:
(SUNG TO THE TUNE OF “FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW”)
For he’s a jolly good native
for he’s a jolly good native
for he’s a jolly good natiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive
that nobody can deny
This last one is destined to be an aboriginal ctossrcSUNG TO THE TUNE OF “AULD LANG SYNE.”
Should all the natives be forgot and never brought to mind And even though you’re still around too bad your land’s all mine.
Happy National Aboriginal Day. Oh yeah…and Happy Father’s Day, dad…
