On September 30, CUPE Ontario and the Indigenous Council join with all CUPE members in solemn commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
This day is one we set aside to honour the survivors of residential schools, the children who never returned home, and the families and communities whose lives and cultures have been profoundly damaged by anti-Indigenous colonial policies.
For non-Indigenous members of CUPE Ontario, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time of reflection and remembrance, education and introspection. September 30 is also often called Orange Shirt Day, and many of us will wear orange as an outward sign of our commitment to truth and justice for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Together, we can reaffirm our goal of repairing the legacy of harm done to Indigenous peoples.
A pathway for that work is laid out in the 94 Calls to Action, issued ten years ago by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The calls are concrete demands for systemic change to reconcile Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Our union, led by the Indigenous Council, echoes the calls for action, accountability, and partnership in meeting these demands. As CUPE Ontario members, we can further our work toward justice for Indigenous people through our locals, using CUPE`s guide Walking the Talk and the Truth and Reconciliation Bargaining Guide.
As a province and as a country, however, we have been consistently thwarted by the actions and decisions by successive governments, both Liberal and Conservative.
In the current laws and policies of both federal and provincial governments, we see evidence of the same colonialism that underpinned the residential school system. This colonial mindset is alive and well in laws like the provincial Bill 5 and federal Bill C-5. Both bills give government licence to push through development projects without meaningful consultation with Indigenous leaders and communities.
These laws are proof that, while both Conservatives and Liberal politicians pay lip service to truth and reconciliation, they all pass laws that trample on rights holders and fly in the face of free and informed consent, a right guaranteed under Article 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Other aspects of the Ford Conservatives’ record show they have consistently failed to reform sectors like child protection and redress ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous communities in health care, access to clean water and education. Collectively, Conservatives voted down the bill sponsored by NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa, which would have established September 30 as a Day of Reflection in our province. It was an unmistakable message from the Ford government that it does not consider Indigenous pain and history worthy of official recognition.
These are all choices that we as a union reject. On the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we reaffirm our intention of working alongside Indigenous leaders, their communities, labour and other allies to resist Conservative and Liberal attempts to undermine Indigenous sovereignty.
As we use this day to reflect on the responsibilities that we as non-Indigenous people bear for past and present injustices, we recommit to working collectively to counter the effects of anti-Indigenous racism and dismantle the legacies of settler-colonialism.
CUPE Ontario is in solidarity with all communities taking part in this fightback and will continue to work to make the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation one that advances the dignity, rights, and futures of Indigenous peoples across Ontario.
