Statement: NunatuKavut Community Council to observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, September 13, 2021 – The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) today issued the following statement:
“NCC is pleased to announce that we will officially be observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.
The federal government passed legislation this past June to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools through the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It responds to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls ‘upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.’
NCC is also responding to this Call to Action by observing this significant day. By doing so, we, too, are honouring former residential school students, their families and communities. Many NunatuKavut Inuit still grapple with the lasting and painful impacts of residential schools in Labrador and in Newfoundland. Our people carry their stories out on the ice when they hunt, on the land as they harvest and in their homes as they spend time with their families. These truths are a part of who we are and how we will live into the future. Keeping these stories alive and ensuring they are told and remembered is an important part of healing and reconciliation.
We welcome the recent announcement from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to also observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which includes the provincial education system. We encourage other Indigenous groups and other institutions, organizations and businesses to join in marking this day of reflection.
We implore all Canadians to take time to learn more about Indigenous peoples in this country and the great contributions we have made. And we invite you to learn more the Inuit of NunatuKavut. You will find that our story is one of determination, belonging and strength, right here in our place, on our homeland. And, in this way, we have a shared experience with so many Indigenous peoples in this country and around the world. The remembering of our unique and shared histories and culture is what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is all about.”
A resolution on the observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was approved by the NCC Governing Council at a duly convened meeting. NCC’s offices will be closed in observance and reflection of this day.
Media Contact
Kelly Broomfield
Director of Communications, NCC
T: 709-280-5965
E: communications@nunatukavut.ca