“June is National Indigenous History Month – a time where we recognize and celebrate the diverse heritage and invaluable contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

This month is an opportunity for us all to listen, to learn, to understand, and to pledge to do more – each and every day – as we recommit to championing reconciliation and lending the power of our voice to all those seeking justice.

As part of our commitment as Catholic teachers, we have a responsibility to make the important and necessary discussions of the rich histories of Indigenous Peoples a part of our classroom activities throughout the school year. And in doing so, we must also ensure that we confront the enduring pain and intergenerational trauma caused by Canada’s residential school system.

The injustices and barriers created by systemic anti-Indigenous racism must be addressed with immediate, sustained, and fulsome action from all levels of government and society to realize true and meaningful reconciliation.

Reconciliation requires that the federal government implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, promoting meaningful action toward addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. It requires that the provincial government reinstate vital resources around Indigenous education, so that every student in Ontario can learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ histories, cultures, and resilience – and that every teacher has the resources and supports to confidently engage in this essential learning. And it requires that we, as Catholic teachers, renew our pledge to serve our communities to do everything that we can, in our classrooms and beyond, to honour and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ enormous contributions.”

Barb Dobrowolski, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association