October 4 2021

This meeting of the National Union of Public and General Employees, also known as NUPGE, is being held on the unceded, never surrendered territory of the Algonquin, who have been on this land since time immemorial. Today the area is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.

We recognize the crimes that have been committed and the harm that continues to be done to Indigenous people through colonial systems and mindsets. We also recognize the strength and resiliency of Indigenous people and nations.

In many respects, Ottawa is the epicenter of colonial violence enacted on Indigenous people across Canada. Evidence of colonial violence against the Algonquin exists all over Ottawa. Settlers forcibly removed the Algonquin people from their land to gain access to the waterways, which facilitated commerce and resource extraction. As do the other citizens and visitors to present-day Ottawa, NUPGE benefits from this forced displacement. Horrifically, the mortar used in the construction of the Parliament buildings was taken from an Algonquin burial ground, meaning that the Parliament buildings may be held together with the remains of Algonquin ancestors.

In the present day, the federal government is still ignoring the rights and concerns of the Algonquin people. 10 of the 11 federally recognized Algonquin nations oppose the construction of the Chalk River nuclear waste dump. The dump assessment did not fulfil the duty to consult with Indigenous people, violates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (also known as UNDRIP), and, according to the assessment conducted by Kitigan Zibi Anishinabe and Kebaowek First Nation, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, particularly to the Kichi Sibi, or Ottawa River, and the surrounding ecosystems.

Fighting for equity is one of the core values of the labour movement. NUPGE is honoured to take part in the lifelong journey of reconciliation—which includes truth, equity, and justice—alongside Indigenous people.