The Journey Ahead

It’s time to remember what we believe in and do the work ourselves.

In the days after the election, many of us are feeling pain, grief, anger and anxiety about what’s to come for our communities. No one knows yet what history will tell of this moment, but the near future is no doubt alarming. In order to move forward, it’s important to reflect on what got us here, and why.

Anytime we fight on our oppressor’s battlefield with the oppressor's rules, we lose. Many of us feel gutted in this moment because we’ve come to rely on colonial systems that are doing exactly what they are meant to do. The crisis did not begin this November, nor did it begin in our lifetimes. Our Peoples have been suffering under racist, capitalist, and colonial violence for centuries.

It is crucial, now more than ever, to care for our communities and invest in systems and structures that can endure beyond the cycle of national elections. For those who have been doing the work all along, not much will change. For those who haven’t, this is a good time to pause and reflect on why not.

Neither of the two major parties in this country have ever offered a reasonable solution to the many crises we face. In fact, both parties have often been the cause of crises, pandering to the ruling class at the expense of our communities. And as the entire political spectrum continues to shift to the right, more and more of the public is left behind. Our communities don’t see themselves or their values represented in the political class because the political class represents the elite. The people in power have made their priorities clear: they have chosen corporate demands over the demands of the People.

So where does that leave us?

We must build people power. There is no other option. Community building is now more important than ever before. 

We need to create resilient networks, instead of blaming and scapegoating each other, because they WILL be coming for us ALL. 

We need to make sure the material needs of our People are being met. It’s up to us to do this.

We need to invest in systems and structures that can endure beyond election cycles and electorism.

We need to build a stronger movement that can’t be ignored by the systems and parties in power. 

We need to invest in Indigenous leadership and the many grassroots organizing efforts already underway. 

Finally, we need to remember that this struggle is not new and that it will not be won on the timeline of elections. 

It’s time to remember what we believe in and do the work ourselves.

This is how we’ll win our People’s demands: Land Back, Sovereignty, Justice, and Freedom.