For the indigenous peoples day, we see this as a day of celebration, of respecting and promoting and assisting, ultimately, in the longevity and the thriving of diverse, vibrant indigenous cultures. That would be what we see in this National Indigenous Peoples Day.
But the second day—a truth and reconciliation commemoration day—we see as a day of honouring and of commemoration for those who have and have not survived residential schools, the sixties scoop, and the onslaught of other assimilative practices that have been present in Canada, the legacy of colonialism. We see this as a day of remembering, educating and reflecting.
These days have two very different spirits. For the federal government to go ahead and act on these days in the way that I described earlier in my testimony...that must come from the grassroots up. It would require engaging with communities and organizations to see what they need from these days. It's not just about what we see. It's about what folks on the ground, folks in communities, need from these days.