(Unceded Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam territories — Vancouver, BC) This year we mark National Indigenous People’s Day with heavy hearts and a deep sense of responsibility. In the wake of the uncovering of unmarked graves of children on multiple Residential School sites over the past weeks, we are reminded of the work we all must do to acknowledge, listen, and act.
Our thoughts are with survivors and their families, and the families of the ones who did not make it home. We expect the federal government, and indeed all levels of government, to take swift action in the wake of these findings to fully implement the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We call upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in particular, to act on the calls related to the recovery and identification of the remains of missing children.
Now that Bill C-15 has passed, we call upon the federal government to immediately implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and move quickly to bring laws into alignment with the Declaration. We recognize the BC government for leading the country in legislating the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and remain committed to holding both levels of government accountable on implementation.
We also invite union members and the public to again read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and consider ways in which each of us might work in our own communities to help implement the Calls to Action. This work is on all of us, and all of us need to be committed to it.
Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action here: http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Read the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples here: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads...