National Indigenous Peoples Day

Reconciliation: How CUPE 3902 Members Can Play a Role 

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, which recognizes and celebrates the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. This June also marks 10 years since the Government of Canada’s formal apology to Indigenous peoples for the Residential School system. But still today, Indigenous children are forcibly separated by their families by the state and state-supported organizations.

These events are reminders that Reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires the active participation of all residents of Canada. CUPE 3902 recognizes that academia is a cultural space and a workplace embedded within and reflecting the structural iniquities of our society. Access to education should be a right for Indigenous peoples, as well as the ability to access educational programming in their native languages. We continue to call upon the University of Toronto to be a leader among Canadian Universities in implementing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and in practicing the process of Reconciliation.

As a union, we strive toward solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. We take today as an opportunity to educate ourselves and open space for reflection and dialogue about the history of the land we occupy.

Here are some ways in which we can each play a role in Reconciliation:

• Learn and acknowledge the name of the traditional territory on which you work, as well as the agreements between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples on this territory. A Land Acknowledgement should not be an empty gesture, but a commitment to decolonization and understanding the history of Indigenous peoples and the role that settlers played and continue to play in colonization.  An acknowledgement of the land on which CUPE 3902 and the University of Toronto operates is included in our equity statement. 
• Take it upon yourself to learn about Indigenous history, culture and issues. There are many online resources and in-person resources available to help.
  • https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada/home/welcome 
  • http://dodemkanonhsa.ca/
  • http://ncct.on.ca/dodem-kanonhsa/
• Celebrate diversity in your work and study spaces, and ensure that these are safe spaces for everyone. Learn about recognizing and confronting discrimination in the workplace and about how racism affects Indigenous people in Canada.
• Review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website. 

• Attend a teaching at the University of Toronto First Nations House.
• Learn about the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 
• Take on the #Next150 Challenge.
• Celebrate Indigenous culture by attending the Indigenous Arts Festival at Fort York from June 21-24.
• Initiate discussions with friends, family and colleagues on Indigenous issues and the practice of Reconciliation.
• Learn from the work of Indigenous novelists, essayists, poets, visual artists and musicians. 

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) has developed a number of resources to better enable unions and labour activists to integrate First Nation, Métis and Inuit perspectives into planning and programming. Members of CUPE 3902 and other affiliates can now access the following tools:

• An Indigenous Solidarity Guideline;
• Guidelines for Working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Elders;
• A Tobacco Offering Protocol;
• Guidelines for Indigenous Smudge Ceremony; and
• Updated: Traditional Territory Acknowledgements in Ontario.

The OFL is encouraging its affiliated member unions to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) recommendation 80, which calls for a statutory holiday for Truth and Reconciliation. Please sign the Petition to Proclaim June 21st as a Statutory Holiday in Ontario.