National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to remember the harms of the residential school legacy – and honour the perseverance and leadership of Survivors. It is a day for looking back, so we learn how to move forward together.

In this, righting past and present wrongs must not be the burden of Indigenous peoples alone. As the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation says, the residential schools legacy is “not just a part of who we are as Survivors – it’s a part of who we are as a nation.” Non-Indigenous settlers like me, and settler-based organizations like CAPE, must step up to our responsibilities in the journey towards reconciliation.

Here are some of the things this work entails:

It means taking time for personal learning and growth.

I grew up as a settler in what is currently known as Toronto (traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples). I had one teacher who, through her own initiative, taught us about the horrors of residential schools, but aside from that, my understanding of Indigenous history, people, and current Indigenous context was spotty at best.

In the last decade, I’ve had to have a hard look at my own lack of understanding of this country’s crimes of genocide against Indigenous people, and more specifically, the environmental movement’s failure – at times – to meaningfully include and partner with Indigenous people as allies. While I have done my own work to understand and actively work on my internalized racism and colonization, and have worked with others in learning and pushing for better practices in the environmental movement, there’s still much to do.

It means understanding that justice is integral to the work we must do

But this is not just about myself, and about us. Environment and health depends on justice. As our board member Dr. Ojistoh Horn says: “Indigenous and racialized people are the proverbial “canary in the coal mine”, and their health trajectory will inform how well human-kind will fare in the concurrent climate and biodiversity crises.”

It means recognizing past and present harms and moving forward together to redress them.

We’ve seen some positive movement in the health sector on reconciliation, including the Canadian Medical Association’s recent apology for harms to Indigenous people.

CAPE has started our reconciliation journey by focusing on the intersection of health, equity and environment in a number of projects and partnerships, as well as turning the spotlight inwards to continue decolonizing our organization.

We were an active participant in helping to move forward Bill C-226, Canada’s first environmental justice law, and have participated in a multiple-year campaign to update CEPA with the right to a healthy environment and related provisions that would address disproportionate exposures by Indigenous peoples on their lands, and their inherent rights.

The Place-Based Power Project is led in equal partnership among the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, Keepers of the Water, and CAPE. It focuses on the urgent intersection of health, social justice, and the climate crisis arising from fossil fuel extraction. Together we will work on addressing the specific challenges faced by communities disproportionately affected by extraction, particularly fracking in Northern BC and tar sands tailings deposits in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

On October 1st, we are launching our Indigenous Caucus, which will bring together Indigenous physicians and physicians practicing medicine in majority-Indigenous communities to share challenges, knowledge and advocacy opportunities, and to advise on CAPE’s work as we focus on the intersection of health, justice and environment.

It means recognizing this work is a choice we must make every day.

On Monday, we are closing our office so staff can take time to learn/unlearn and think about their own journey of reconciliation both personally, and professionally.

I am not done and we at CAPE are not done, but we hope you can join us today in taking steps towards a better, stronger future together.

– Sabrina Bowman, Interim Executive Director