Yesterday, September 30th, was National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Today, October 1st, is Treaty Day. October is Mi'kmaw Heritage Month.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of reflection on the harm brought to Indigenous communities through Residential Schools and other settler/colonizer initiatives and policies that sought to destroy Indigenous people and their culture. It coincides with Orange Shirt Day, an initiative that started from grassroots Indigenous leadership, to raise awareness of the intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools.
Treaty Day is intended as a day of celebration of the 1752 Treaty of Friendship and Peace and a kick-off to the start of Mi'kmaw Heritage Month.
Unama'ki communities, Eskasoni and Membertou have undergone significant development over the last few years. CBRM can learn from the leadership in these communities to guide innovative development while protecting natural resources and the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples. CBRM can further partner with the Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources.
Municipalities have Responsibilities under the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Municipal Governments can support in monitoring Provincial and Federal government action towards the TRC recommendations. CBRM does not appear to have a publicly available progress tracker for their work on the TRC Calls to Action. This is a change a Councillor could motion to suggest and something I would motion if elected.
There are only 5 named TRC Calls to Action specific to Municipalities. A Dalhousie Student, Victoria Hudson wrote an article featured in Federalism-E suggests Municipalities can and should do more. "The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Gives Municipalities the Opportunity to Defy their Status as "Creatures of the Province”"
"[T]here are many ways that municipalities can obtain and use power that goes beyond and defies the creatures of the province ideology, especially when it pertains to Indigenous rights. [Municipalities have a special role] in fostering urban spaces for the resurgence of Indigenous self-determination and presence within settler cities."
CBRM briefly had a L'nu Advisor but the person in the role quit after she felt she "became a token Indian". CBRM reportedly requested proposals from organizations who could provide education and policy advice instead of filling the position. There's certainly more work CBRM can do.
Mi'kmaw History Month October 2024 Video:
Resources and Additional Reading:
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