Living wages aren't properly calculated.

In Vancouver living wage is said to be $20.52 but average one bed rent is $2200 a month. W/ Utilities. $2500 a month. You are supposed to spend 25% of your income on housing... So you need an income of 120k a year or $57.69 an hour net. This may sound offensive or unrealistic but the truth is we've known since the 30's that in order to have healthy economic system- we should spend 25% of income on housing - so you can save for retirement, emergencies, and education. Anything that says it's higher is bargaining.

I've had a weird emotional day today and it comes from a lot of inner turmoil, as I was raised to be ashamed of my Indigenous heritage - as it would hurt my chances of success. My mother was very obviously Cree looking but I with my Irish father became white passing. #NDTR2021 Blending in meant that I wasn't called names like my mother but it also meant listening to friends, family, and colleagues make racist jokes and say that Indigenous people didn't contribute to society and it all reinforced the warnings to remain silent and hidden.

Tomorrow I'll wake up to the first #NDTR and while I have my own thoughts on why National Indigenous Peoples Day should be a holiday and how we can make sure NDTR becomes a day of support for Indigenous People instead of a settler guilt holiday, its existence is a good start. I have tough feelings involving #NDTR because I want actions that break down colonialism far more than just awareness which is still is good, but entire generations of Indigenous people already knew all of this had happened and collectively others burried their heads in the sand.