Boozhoo, members!

June is Indigenous History Month in Canada, and June 21st was celebrated across the country as National Indigenous Peoples Day. We hope our members, communities, and neighbors enjoyed a pleasant day on this longest day of the year, and that our non-Indigenous allies and partners gained new knowledge about the historical and ongoing experiences of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples across Canada and North America.

There was a great deal of media shared by Indigenous creators and allies alike, whether focused on cultural experiences such as the feasts and Powwows taking place for the solstice, or on reconciliation and the promotion of Indigenous business through events such as #CollisionConf, Workforce Forward, PDAC and many more that were taking place throughout the month.

While reading about success stories, future visions, new investments, and successful agreements is positive, we do want to acknowledge and affirm that reconciliation and supporting Indigenous economies is not something to do each June with a new Social Media filter and some posts. It is a commitment to evaluating how we form partnerships, consult with land holders, grow business, and support a thriving population that is now revisiting the legacy of Residential Schools in an ongoing and highly public reckoning.

We extend our appreciation to all those who have supported the sharing and spotlighting of Indigenous resources, creators, businesses and celebrated our various cultures throughout June and on June 21st. More importantly, we look forward to seeing this spirit of awareness and good faith carry forward 365
days a year.

Chi-Miigwetch,

Jason