Statement - Commander Canadian Army, Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Environment mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Commander Canadian Army, Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Environment mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

30/09/2022 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Lieutenant-General Jocelyn Paul, Commander Canadian Army, and Rob Chambers, Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment), issued the following statement to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day:

Greetings, Atelihai, Tawnshi, Uy’ skweyul, Pusu'l,

As co-chairs of the Defence Team Indigenous Advisory Committee, it is our duty, and privilege, to serve as advocates for our fellow Defence Team members from Indigenous backgrounds.

It is in that spirit that we invite and encourage all of you to join us in recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day today, September 30.

During this day, we commemorate the tragic, painful legacy of the Indian Residential School system, and honour the children taken from their homes, robbed of their cultures, and the families and communities destroyed.

We mourn those who never returned home, and acknowledge those who did; they are a living testament to the ongoing impacts of the colonial assimilationist policies behind this terrible, and all too recent, history.

This day is also about the future. The Government of Canada is focused on the renewal of nation-to-nation relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, and the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces are partners in that important work.

Indigenous Peoples have played significant roles in defence of this country from its very beginnings. Even the first European explorers could not have survived without their help.

The Indigenous Peoples serving today are a part of that proud tradition. They not only carry out their duties with the same skill and dedication as those who came before, but also offer their wisdom and guidance through advisory bodies such as the Director General Indigenous Affairs, and our Defence Aboriginal Advisory Groups.

With their help, we are doing the work: answering the calls to action given to us by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and fostering an inclusive, respectful work environment for all.

We are ensuring both awareness and compliance with the obligations laid out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our goal is a relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on a recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

We would like to suggest that today is an opportunity for all Canadians to play a part. The federal government’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation website is a good starting point, as is the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

There, you will find resources to help you gain a better understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ history, languages, reconciliation initiatives, and much more. We can all play a part in moving forward and learning from the past.

We invite you to take this important journey with us.

Lieutenant-General Jocelyn Paul, Commander Canadian Army and Defence Team Champion for Indigenous Peoples, and Rob Chambers, Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment)