09/30/2026
Today, we honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, the survivors, their families, and the communities who continue to carry the intergenerational impacts of colonialism. We recognize the strength, resilience, and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
The impacts of colonialism are not confined to history. They are reflected in the systems and inequities Indigenous people continue to navigate today. Consider these realities in Canada:
🔸 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimated that at least 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children attended residential schools. The impacts of these institutions continue across generations, affecting families, communities, language, culture, and relationships.
🔸 According to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, Indigenous children accounted for approximately 7.7% of all children under 15 in Canada but represented 53.8% of children in foster care. This disparity reflects the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous children in child welfare systems.
🔸 Indigenous adults continue to be disproportionately represented in Canadian correctional institutions. In 2022/2023, Indigenous adults accounted for approximately one-third of admissions to provincial and territorial correctional services, despite representing approximately 5% of Canada's population.
These statistics are not simply numbers. They represent individuals, families, and communities whose experiences are shaped by historical and ongoing systemic inequities.
Decolonizing our work means continually questioning the systems, policies, and practices we operate within and where they originated from in the first place. It means recognizing how colonialism, systemic racism, and intergenerational trauma contribute to inequities in housing, health care, child welfare, social services, and the criminal justice system.
It also means making space for Indigenous voices, respecting Indigenous ways of knowing and being, challenging institutional barriers, and working toward services that are culturally safe, accessible, and responsive to the communities they serve.
Today and every day, we acknowledge that reconciliation is an ongoing responsibility. It requires us to reflect on our own practices, recognize the systems we participate in, and continually ask how we can do better.
Every child matters and every action toward reconciliation matters. 🧡
