September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a time to honour residential school survivors, remember those who never returned home, and reflect on the histories of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. It is also a call to learn, to listen, and to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities in their continued struggles against the lasting impacts of colonization.
The Agriculture Union recognizes that our members work, live and play on the lands of many Indigenous people across Turtle Island, and we are grateful to the custodians and stewards of these lands who are fighting for a future with clean air, fresh water, and sustainable food sources. Moreover, we recognize how the forced displacement of Indigenous people onto reservations, starvation in residential schools, and the curtailing of Indigenous hunting and fishing rights have had lasting impacts on Indigenous food security and well-being.
We encourage Agriculture Union members to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, follow the “Beyond 94” calls to action tracker, and to ask your MP to take stronger action on implementing these commitments. Moreover, we encourage everyone to join an Orange Shirt Day event or action on September 30th in a city or town near you.
As a union whose members work mainly in the fields of food safety and agriculture, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few groups in different regions of the country who are working to protect Indigenous food systems and sovereignty. This is a non-exhaustive list, but we encourage you to support and find out more about these initiatives.
Tea Creek training Centre
Tea Creek is an award-winning, culturally safe, land-based Indigenous food sovereignty and trades training initiative based on Gitxsan territory in BC. Their mission is to revitalize the culture of economic interdependence and food production that was a central part of life for Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. You can also stream a documentary about Tea Creek on CBC Gem for free here.
The Wild Basket
The Wild Basket project strives to connect the traditional knowledge of Algonquin ancestors to the next generation by harvesting from the land and selling locally. The project is based in the Timiskaming First Nation (TFN), a community of the Alqonquin Anishnaabeg whose traditional territory is vastly spread across Quebec and Ontario.
Indigenous Food Systems Network
The Indigenous Food Systems Network is a project of The Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty (WGIFS). WGIFS was born in March of 2006 out of a recognized need to carry the Indigenous voice in the various meetings, conferences and discussions that have taken place within the food security movement. Through participation in the B.C. Food Systems Network Annual Gathering and strategic planning meetings, the WGIFS was created for the purpose of increasing awareness of the underlying issues, concerns and strategies impacting food security in Indigenous communities.
Tkà:nios- it Grows
Based in Kahnawake, QC, Tkà:nios, refers to the direction of growth from Ionkhi’nistenha tsi iohontsa:te (Our Mother Earth), birthed to create space for knowledge and growth when returning to our ways of sustenance, promoting our connection to food, each other and the land.
Unist’ot’en Healing Centre
The Unist’ot’en Healing Centre on Wet’suwet’en territory in BC is a culturally-grounded initiative aimed at fostering wellness, resilience, and decolonization – reconnecting Indigenous people with their land, culture, and ancestral teachings.
The Healing Centre provides a space for land-based healing, community connection, and the revitalization of Indigenous traditions to empower future generations and support recovery from the intergenerational harms of colonization.