international day of the world's indigenous peoples
Life

Politicians chime in on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

by Lorraine Carpenter

“Reconciliation calls on all of us to confront our past, our biases and actions, and commit to an equitable future.”

Today, Aug. 9, is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and a number of federal leaders, as well as our mayor, observed the day with public statements that touched on a range of issues that are relevant to Aboriginal communities in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a fairly lengthy statement (which can be seen in full on the PMO website). Here is an excerpt:

“Reconciliation calls on all of us to confront our past, our biases and actions, and commit to an equitable future. To do this, we must work to dismantle racism and the barriers to equality – not just on #IndigenousPeoplesDay but every day.”

—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan took the opportunity to thank Indigenous people in the Canadian Forces:

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also tweeted about the observance today while mentioning the ongoing local First Peoples Festival.

“On behalf of Montrealers, I wish all the aboriginal populations of the metropolis a happy International Day of Indigenous Peoples. I take this opportunity to point out that @PrsenceAutochto continues today!”

—Valérie Plante

See more about First Peoples Day here.

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Posted in Life

by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.