So, usually on Canada Day, I’d be agonizing over how to narrow down my favourite Canadian tunes down to a coherent playlist for you.

But this year, there are other things to consider. The number of unmarked graves around residential schools is over a thousand, and it’s going to increase. I mean, not that the systemic mistreatment of Canada’s indigenous people wasn’t a thing last year or 15 or 50 years ago, but the world is better at listening to the stories of marginalized groups, and there’s nothing you can shrug off about mass graves. So, yeah. So this year, my very, very small part to pay tribute to those children is that the Canada Day playlist is full of music created by Canada’s First People. Not less Canadian, but more needed to be heard. But before we even get to the playlist, I want to share this heartbreaking version of Blackbird.

So first, Emma Stevens:

However you celebrate, or don’t, remember to be kind to each other, friends.