On June 21, CUPE Ontario and the Indigenous Council mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to celebrate the strength, history, and powerful resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Turtle Island. The day falls in National Indigenous History Month, when we learn about and honour the unique cultures, traditions, and experiences of Indigenous peoples.
This year, as we reflect on the passage of Bill 5 and its catastrophic implications for Indigenous land, water and sovereignty, we are reminded more than ever of the importance of recognizing the histories and ongoing efforts of Indigenous people in Ontario and of standing in solidarity with Indigenous communities.
Throughout this month, and especially on June 21, we celebrate Indigenous achievements, diversity, cultures, languages and knowledge systems. We recommit ourselves and our union to deepening the work of advocating for Indigenous rights in our workplaces and in our communities. And we continue to fight against discrimination, environmental racism and the continuing effects of colonialism.
As trade unionists, we have always fought to tear down the barriers that divide us – barriers built by colonialism, racism, and inequality. We must remember that we are all treaty people, and with that identity comes responsibility. We cannot allow economic priorities or political distractions to sideline justice and reconciliation. If we are going to put “Canada First,” we must put reconciliation at the centre of our work.
There is no better time to reaffirm our commitment than this year, which is the tenth anniversary of the release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and its 94 Calls to Action. They offer a clear roadmap about how to reconcile settler and Indigenous communities.
Yet according to Indigenous Watchdog, the site that monitors the progress of reconciliation, only 14 of those 94 Calls have been completed. This is not only disheartening; it’s unacceptable. CUPE Ontario echoes the frustration and resolve of Indigenous communities and demands renewed commitment to the TRC’s work, alongside the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People.
This day and this month are reminders that reconciliation is not symbolic. It is the daily work of closing gaps, removing structural harms, and listening deeply.
Jenn Smith, chair of the CUPE Ontario Indigenous Council shares: “This year on Indigenous Peoples Day, CUPE Ontario’s Indigenous Council asks you to find a way to help support your local Indigenous communities and their fight to protect the land, the air and the water from Premier Ford and Bill 5. Support the protests, listen to the Elders, get your communities involved. This Indigenous People’s Day will see a lot of communities celebrating and honoring the inherited responsibility of protecting turtle island; you are urged to find a way to get involved.”
Jenn’s statement is a reminder that the TRC’s Calls to Action were never meant to gather dust. Many speak directly to the work we do in education, healthcare, social services and public administration. CUPE Ontario’s committee and sector leaders must revitalize our collective response. With new voices and new leadership in our ranks, we have a renewed opportunity to answer these Calls – not out of guilt, but out of commitment to a shared future rooted in truth, justice and solidarity.
This National Indigenous Peoples Day, we call on all CUPE Ontario locals, leaders and members to engage, not just in celebration but in action. Members of CUPE Ontario’s Indigenous Council encourage our union comrades to use June 21 as an occasion to support Indigenous communities. Attend Indigenous-led events. Support protests defending land and water. Revisit our union’s Water is Life campaign and renew your pledge to protect clean water for future generations. Take time to explore CUPE National’s Truth and Reconciliation bargaining guide and ensure that we bargain language supporting Indigenous workers into every collective agreement we negotiate.
We cannot rewrite history, but we can shape the future. Let this month and this day be a reminder, a challenge, and a call to all of us to act with intention, with humility, and with courage.
Together, we can ensure that reconciliation is not a promise deferred, but a path we walk side by side.
