Article copied from the Toronto Star. 

It should come as no surprise that when Canada gives itself a party to celebrate 150 years of “Canadian history,” many Indigenous people feel a sense of indignation. The question that now faces us as a country is “what can we do to show that we have learned from the past, and how do we go forward on a different basis?”

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As Canada prepares to celebrate it's 150th birthday we are happy to report that Canadians are continuing to call on the Canadian government to put forward legislation clearly establishing Indigenous Peoples's status as Founding Nations of Canada.  One of the most powerful actions Canadians are taking is using our Letter-to-the-Editor tool. This powerful tool allows Canadians to successfully publish dozens of letters in Canadian newspapers, an effective and innovative way to call on the Canadian government to turn Recognition to Action. 

On May 25, 2017, at the Senate Symposium on the 150th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Phil Fontaine (a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations) and Ellen Gabriel (a former president of the Quebec Native Women’s Association) participate in a discussion entitled “Aboriginal Peoples: From Marginalization to a Nation-to-Nation Relationship.”

Watch the video here.

On June 16, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister begins a 160-kilometre bike ride from the former site of Peguis First Nation in East Selkirk to the community's present site in the north Interlake, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Selkirk Treaty. As the premier begins what he calls a "journey of reconciliation," Lisa Forbes wrote this open letter to the Manitoba premier.

Read the open letter here.

FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION FOUNDATION

“In 1996, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples observed, ‘A country cannot be built on a living lie.’ Now is the time, during the Canada 150 activities, to complete the story. The government should adopt legislation that acknowledges that Indigenous peoples are a founding nation of Canada. It’s time for the government to take action and make specific commitments to right this wrong. It’s time to turn recognition to action." 

Thank you for adding your voice to the call to turn recognition to action. Your message has been sent to Premier Brian Pallister.

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Manitoba NDP have put forth a resolution calling for the Manitoba government to put a push on Ottawa to recognize Indigenous people as founders of Canada.  

You can view the resolution HERE

Amanda Lathlin, Manitoba NDP MLA for The Pas, is calling for the provincial government to put a push on Ottawa to recognize Indigenous people as the founders of Canada. 

“It’s time to recognize Indigenous people as founders of Canada,” Lathlin said in a release. “Recognizing the role of Indigenous nations and people in the founding of Canada is a step towards building a meaningful nation-to-nation relationship and an important step toward reconciliation.”