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June 21 is Annual National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21, 2022
To: All MoveUP Members
Today, June 21, marks the annual National Indigenous Peoples Day – a day where we celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Across the country, there are many events and activities that will be taking place to recognize this day and provide Canadians with an opportunity to learn about and honour the rich culture of the original inhabitants of these lands.
You can find a list of some of the activities taking place across Canada here, or specifically in Metro Vancouver here.
You can also find more resources on National Indigenous Peoples Day on the Government of Canada website.
Last year, we made a Zoom background available for download for our members to mark this occasion. The background was created using a design made available on the Canadian government website and combines various visual elements illustrating Indigenous cultures with the sun (the summer solstice) at the centre.
The four elements of nature (earth, water, fire and air) are represented in the image, while the icons represent different Indigenous communities and their members. The eagle represents First Nations peoples, the narwhal represents the Inuit peoples, and the violin represents the Métis peoples.
The entire visual is supported by a multicoloured smoke to remind us of Indigenous spirituality but also the colours of the rainbow as a symbol of inclusion and diversity.
You can download the Zoom background here.
Over this past year, as part of our union’s work towards truth and reconciliation, we passed several resolutions at our local’s Convention and at our National Convention.
At our 2021 MoveUP Convention, our union has resolved to: establish a fund for First nations bursaries; provide resources and support for Indigenous union members, their families and survivors of the residential school system, while continuing to create education sessions for our members exploring the harmful legacy of the Indian Residential School System; and to host workshops addressing the 231 calls for justice from the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
At our 2022 COPE SEPB Convention, our national union has resolved to: encourage locals to include language in future collective agreements for mandatory Indigenous learning, call on various levels of government to provide funding for education programs on decolonization, and for locals to provide their own education sessions that are led by Indigenous peoples; and urge the Government of Canada to immediately adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We hope all of you will take the time to recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day and to learn more about the path towards truth and reconciliation.
In Solidarity,
Christy Slusarenko and Anderson Charles
Co-chairs, Human Rights & Multicultural Committee