National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

To honour survivors, their families and Indigenous communities and to raise awareness about the legacy of residential schools in Canada, the City of St. John’s observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2022.

We encourage residents to wear orange on this day; to read, listen and learn; and to particpate in community events.

As an organization, the City of St. John’s has a role to play in advancing truth and reconciliation in our community. We ask our staff to wear orange to demonstrate support and we are offering them training through First Light's Indigenous Cultural Diversity Training.

For more on how you can recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, visit First Light. 

Declaration in Support of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
In order to promote and strengthen mutually respectful relationships with the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s and with all other First Peoples in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the City of St. John’s hereby recognizes that:

• The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, of which the City of St. John’s is the capital, exists on the ancestral homelands of the Inuit, the Innu, the Mi’kmaq and the Beothuk.
• The culture of the Beothuk has been lost forever and can never be recovered.
• Indigenous Peoples continue to endure many hardships and injustices that began with first contact and that have created significant social, economic and health disparities.
• Indigenous Peoples were excluded from the Terms of Union when Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada in 1949, which limited access to programs and services that otherwise would have been available to them.
• Indigenous Peoples have distinct and diverse histories, cultures, and identities.
• Self-determination is an inherent right of all Indigenous People.
• St. John’s has the fastest growing urban Indigenous population in Canada.

Acting therefore in support of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, the City of St. John’s hereby declares its commitment to:

• Support and promote the implementation of the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and
• the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• Work to decolonize the City by making indigenization and anti-racism priorities with respect to its governance, municipal services, and infrastructure.
• Recognize and celebrate the many contributions that Indigenous Peoples have made and continue to make to our City, province, and country.
• Maintain membership in First Voice while continuing to build equal partnerships with other Indigenous organizations in the City.
• Collaborate with the urban Indigenous community to develop, promote and implement a shared Community Action Plan and to report annually to Council on progress toward achieving its objectives.
• Work with all levels of government, including the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada, to recognize, support, and advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples.