CUPE Ontario and CUPE Ontario’s Indigenous Council are honoured to mark September 30 as National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. In solidarity with Indigenous communities in our province and across the country, we commemorate the day as part of the ongoing reconciliation process.
It is a day to pay tribute to the history, courage and resilience of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and to remember the enduring impact of colonial violence, white supremacy and injustice on them.
Those of us who are settlers must use the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to recommit to the ongoing journey of reconciliation and the role that we must play to contribute to justice, healing and reconciliation among peoples.
We urge non-Indigenous people to be proactive in seeking out these opportunities and to recall that Indigenous people may wish to mark this day differently, as they reflect on the legacy of intergenerational trauma and pain that their families and communities have suffered and still endure. We must resolve to be the best allies we can be and work alongside indigenous communities to create a future built on peace and respect.
Because reconciliation is a continuous process, our union has been at the forefront of work that supports justice for indigenous peoples. The Indigenous Council amplifies the voice of Indigenous workers in our union and our communities; its members take the lead on educating their fellow members about Indigenous issues and representing CUPE Ontario with allies and in coalitions and campaigns.
CUPE also provides two important guides: one is CUPE’s Truth and Reconciliation Bargaining Guide, which helps locals bargain collective agreement language to support Indigenous colleagues and promote reconciliation; and Walking the Talk, which provides advice to locals and members for supporting the calls to action.
CUPE Ontario’s work stand in stark contrast to that of Doug Ford’s Conservatives. They have a dismal record of respecting and making progress on the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Indigenous Council urges the Ford government to support, at minimum, legislation that Ontario NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa will introduce to have National Truth and Reconciliation Day declared a statutory holiday in Ontario.
Yet no action is more urgently needed than an end to decades of environmental racism at Grassy Narrows. Earlier this month, thousands of supporters walked with Indigenous groups to demand the provincial government stop Dryden pulp mill from releasing chemicals that poison the water and people of Grassy Narrows. Yet instead of taking action to deal with this crisis, Ford Conservatives have chosen to attack age-old solidarities that exist amongst indigenous peoples globally, and to investigate educators for doing their jobs. This callous disregard for Indigenous and human rights is all too typical of this government, and is yet another sign of their attempts to divide those who stand together for justice.
These are just some of the obstacles that we must overcome collectively on the journey to creating a future that is built on healing and reconciliation. But working together, we can work to end the intergenerational trauma that continues to affect Indigenous communities and commit to efforts that will ensure healing and recovery.
