Generally, once people become aware of Indigenous issues in a clear sense, the first question is "how can I help"?

Having faced this question so many times with only vague answers in my head, I have thought a lot about how best to answer this question with something concrete. After all, how does anyone undo generations of colonization, theft of land and resources and deliberate policies to destroy our cultures?

The most comprehensive answer is complex and involves a lot of learning and effort to make change, but the answer can also be simple and immediate:

Indigenous women and two-spirited* people are leading a resurgence movement in iyiniwi-ministik, the People's Island.** They draw on their traditional roles as protectors of the land and water to inform their work in our communities, and root themselves in their specific socio-political orders to counter colonialism and to revitalize language and culture. Rather than being defined as a struggle against patriarchal gender roles and the division of labour, Indigenous women and two-spirited people's work combats the imposition of colonial barriers. The goal is not to attain gender equality, but rather to restore Indigenous nationhood, which includes gender equality and respect for gender fluidity.

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I am no programmer, and honestly my kids understand this better than I do, but I have had a heck of a lot of fun these past few days creating a silly little RPG called "Idle No More: Blockade." It is probably full of bugs and I'll have to finesse it a little later, but I wanted to get this out for Canada Day.

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This open letter was originally published in 2012 on apihtawikosisan.com and was adapted from another longer article, also on that site. It is republished here with permission in response to the recent cover of Elle UK, which features American hip-hop artist Pharrell wearing a headdress.

tânisi!