CAUT | ACPPU
Canadian Association of University Teachers
| June 21: Statement on National Aboriginal Day |
| (Thursday, June 21, 2012)
- In recognition of National Aboriginal Day, CAUT acknowledges and celebrates the first peoples of Canada: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. As the national organization representing academic staff at universities and colleges across Canada, CAUT advocates for the rights of Aboriginal academic staff and promotes the recognition of Indigenous knowledge in Canada’s universities and colleges. While the Canadian government has signed on to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and offered an apology for the atrocities suffered by Aboriginal people through the residential school system, the government has done little to translate words into action. The federal government’s support for the health, education and well-being of Aboriginal people in Canada is grossly inadequate. Recent cuts to Aboriginal organizations and services, including the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and funding for health services provided to Aboriginal women through the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) further undermine efforts to address inequity. CAUT calls on the Harper government to live up to its commitments and to immediately restore funding to Aboriginal programs and advocacy services. CAUT calls for the closure of the gap in social services and access to education for Aboriginal people. CAUT stands in solidarity with the Aboriginal peoples of Canada in their struggles for land-rights, self-governance, and justice. |
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