Canada’s unions mark National Indigenous Peoples Day by calling for further action towards reconciliation
This National Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada’s unions say action on reconciliation must become an urgent national priority.
Earlier this month, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) released its final report, including 231 Calls for Justice to address the alarming rate of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. To date, no implementation plans have been outlined to address these Calls for Justice.
“First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples have endured extreme abuse and neglect for generations. It is our collective national shame and we must take deliberate steps to right the wrongs of the past. Reconciliation mustn’t wait any longer. Now we must work towards a fairer future through action,” says Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
Canada’s unions support Indigenous communities’ calls to:
- Establish a National Council for Reconciliation with adequate, multi-year funding to measure, monitor and report on progress; and
- Develop and implement an action plan to address the MMIWG report Calls for Justice.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released a comprehensive report on the brutal legacy of colonialism and its impact on First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in 2015. The report included 94 Calls to Action. While there has been some progress, 28 calls to action have not yet been addressed.
