Published by Senator Lillian Eva Dyck on 19 June 2009
On June 21, 2009, National Aboriginal Day is celebrated throughout Canada, from coast to coast to coast. This is a special day for all Canadians to come together in solidarity with Aboriginal people by recognizing their distinct and unique cultures, traditions, languages, and the beauty of their traditional lands and people.
National Aboriginal Day is a time to revel in traditional dances, songs, and stories which characterizes our vibrant cultures, rich traditions, and unique languages as strong First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. As a result, it is my sincere hope that this significant day will help forge a better, meaningful understanding of who we are as a people, what we stand for and what we are striving towards in the betterment of our people.
First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are the foremothers, the spirits, and the guardians of this great country we call Canada. On this day, we must not forget the significant contributions of our ancestors. Those who negotiated treaties and paved a path of hope, filled with life lessons and challenges for our communities, our people, and our children. This foundation was laid so that future generations will stand as strong, proud, and wise and become healthy leaders of our nations.
As we continue on a path of challenges and hardships, the true celebration for Aboriginal people will take place when:
~ our people are treated with dignity and respect,
~ our treaty rights are respected and honoured,
~ our children live in healthy communities,
~ our children are healthy,
~ our children, our people lead healthy lives,
~ our children have access to clean drinking water,
~ our children have schools and facilities to learn, grow and prosper,
~ our children are fairly educated,
~ our children dream with hope,
~ our children share in the riches of our traditional lands,
~ our children, our people live in healthy, safe home conditions,
~ our people, our children are part of the equation
True victory is a day when our nations will hear strong echoes of our children speaking their own languages, sharing their stories, practicing their own traditions, dancing proudly, pursuing their goals, standing confidently, and creating a better tomorrow.
We have many steps to conquer but I would like to take this opportunity to ask Canadians to come together and share in the Celebration of Aboriginal culture. It is a day to celebrate our ancestors, our culture, and our traditional way of life.
Please be part of the celebration!
Miigwetch