NWAC president Carol McBride statement for National Indigenous History Month

It is crucial that non-Indigenous members of our community make sustained efforts to learn about Indigenous histories, cultures, and protocols.

We need to build on this progress. The ongoing work of reconciliation requires all of us to work from a foundation of shared knowledge and understanding — together.

We have tools to help us ensure that our rights are upheld, such as the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) 94 Calls to Action and the 231 Calls For Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

We must remember this during National Indigenous History Month. It is a time for learning about, reflecting, appreciating and acknowledging the contributions First Nations, Inuit and Métis people continue to make.

Carol McBride is the president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada.