“All Canadians, as Treaty peoples, share responsibility for establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships.” The legacy of residential schools and the ongoing effects of colonization, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism impact the health and learning outcomes for First Nations, Métis and Inuit children.
The Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH) values and supports the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in recognizing the harmful impacts and legacy of the residential school system. We will use our national platform to bring awareness to, and when appropriate, address the Calls to Action for education and health.
The JCSH also recognizes the importance of the self-determination of Indigenous peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The JCSH is committed to supporting and echoing Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, increasing inter-and cross-cultural understanding and fostering shifts in thinking and attitude within our school communities.
The JCSH will respond to the Calls to Action by deepening relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, and by examining issues of power and privilege. This is an opportunity to reconcile our shared history and build a brighter future for all Canadians.
“Despite being subjected to aggressive assimilation policies for nearly 200 years, Aboriginal people have maintained their identity and their communities. They continue to assert their rights to self-governance. In this they are not alone” and the JCSH stands with them as an ally in continuing on this constructive path.