June is National Indigenous History Month – a month to celebrate Indigenous peoples and their diverse cultures, traditions, and contributions.
OPSEU/SEFPO recognizes that we all work, live, and play on Indigenous land.
We are all treaty people. This means that we are all bound to honour the agreements negotiated between the Crown (what is now Canada) and Indigenous peoples.
We have a shared duty to respect each other and to be good stewards of the land we call home.
We have a responsibility as treaty people to learn about the past and to engage with the realities of today, including that much of Canada sits on the unceded traditional territories of Indigenous peoples, and that the harmful impacts of colonialism continue to reverberate on a large scale.
National Indigenous History Month is an opportunity for OPSEU/SEFPO members to take part in events, activities, celebrations, and ceremonies taking place across the province.
From June 5-7 in Thunder Bay, OPSEU/SEFPO’s Indigenous Circle organized the 2026 Water Summit. The summit highlighted the ongoing water crisis across Ontario and Canada, as well as the particular challenges faced by northern and remote Indigenous communities. Community leaders joined the event from Fort William First Nation, Grassy Narrows First Nation, Kashechewan First Nation, and Saugeen First Nation.
National Indigenous History Month is a time to reflect on our individual and collective commitments to reconciliation. We must be proactive and personally take charge of our own learning. It is not for Indigenous peoples to educate the settler population.
A flag raising ceremony took place at the OPSEU/SEFPO head office in Toronto on June 25, where the union reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside Indigenous peoples to ensure that their fundamental rights are respected.
This commitment includes advocating for the implementation of the 94 Calls to Action released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the full realization of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
OPSEU/SEFPO will continue to amplify the voices, leadership, and activism of the Indigenous Circle and Indigenous union members across the union.