The evolution of National Indigenous Peoples Day has been wonderful to see. From the early 2000s until now, I think it has grown, and we now have celebrations that happen all across this country, and more Canadians understand it. Many first nations and Inuit and Métis look forward to and celebrate that day. So, yes, I think the spirit of what I'm imagining as a statutory holiday does live within that particular holiday already, although it does seem that the creation of a statutory holiday provides a greater weight and allows for more education and a bigger platform for us. If you think about holidays, statutory holidays, and how they've been allocated over time, they have been colonial in nature and they have thought about the founding of this country, not necessarily about indigenous peoples within Canada. This would be a marked departure from that legacy. I think that is a great opportunity.
On January 29th, 2019. See this statement in context.