National Aboriginal Peoples’ Network
June 21, National Aboriginal Day
If nothing appears here, something has gone wrong!
It’s been 14 years since then Governor-General Romèo Leblanc declared that June 21 was to become National Aboriginal Day across Canada. The day of the summer solstice was chosen because of its significance in a wide variety of Aboriginal cultures, and many First Nations had already been using the longest day of the year to celebrate their heritage and traditions. The day is meant for every Canadian to recognize, honour and respect the contributions Aboriginal Peoples have made to the Canadian fabric.
June 21st should also be a day for us to learn more about the diverse Aboriginal cultures and about the issues that face Canada’s First Peoples. It is important that all of us make ourselves more aware of the reasons why, in almost every measure, Aboriginal Peoples fare much worse than other Canadians.
We should be asking ourselves a lot of questions: Why a people, who for thousands of years lived and prospered on the continent known to them as Turtle Island, are facing such hardships today; Why a people, who had no need for a prison system themselves, are now overly represented in Canadian jails. Why a people, who numbered around 15 million at the time of European contact and had complex systems of trade and commerce, are having such a difficult time economically; Why a people, who had so much respect and reverence for the land that they based all of their major decisions on the impact on the 7th generation following them, in far too many instances don’t have access to clean drinking water? Why a people, who had such respect for the women of the community that no major decisions were made without their input and in many instances were matriarchies, now have more than 550 women murdered or missing in the past 15 years? Why a people, for whom family life was the central focus of the community, had their children ripped from their arms and sent to Residential Schools.
One of the reasons for these dramatic shifts is the number of Aboriginal People who have been separated from their traditional teachings because of the long-standing assimilation policies of the Canadian government. Ever since European traders felt they no longer needed Aboriginal Peoples as navigators, hunters, warriors or nutrionists, there have been consistent attempts to incorporate Canada’s first peoples into the dominant culture. And for nearly 500 years, they have met with resistance. It’s time, once and for all, for the federal government to end their policies of assimilation and instead work with Aboriginal leaders to restore those elements of a culture that allowed it flourish for more than 10,000 years.
The PSAC’s National Aboriginal Peoples’ Circle and Network have been working on these and other issues since their inception in 2005. The numbers of Aboriginal members in the Network have been increasing but as the PSAC’s Aboriginal policy states: “. . . it is not just Aboriginal Peoples who need to take on these challenges. Non-Aboriginal people continue to benefit from the land and resources that once rightfully belonged to the original inhabitants of Turtle Island. It is therefore incumbent on us a union to develop the capacity of our full membership to engage in the kind of political action that draws attention and action to the struggles faced by Aboriginal Peoples.”
Please join with us in celebrating these rich cultures and traditions as we stand together in solidarity on National Aboriginal Day.
Date Modified : 2010/07/13
