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House Hansard - 91

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 17, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 91 - Jun/17/22
Ms. Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, Lib.)
  • Jun/17/22 11:09:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill is situated on the traditional territory of the Wyandot, Haudenosaunee and Anishinabe peoples. It is covered by Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. We are privileged and grateful to share this part of Turtle Island. The actions of many, including our government, have been revealed under the bright light of truth. We cannot deny the residential school graves or that the number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls has become an epidemic. It should enrage us all that more than 63% of indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual violence. We cannot remain complacent. That is why national action plans have been put into place and why a special interlocutor on residential schools has been appointed. Change finds its roots in many places. High school students in York Region, where my riding is located, will be studying indigenous literature. In 2021, Richmond Hill closed its facilities for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Aurora held a gathering, led by Jared Big Canoe of Georgina Island, to mourn and affirm that every child matters. June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, but these are just dates, unless we all commit ourselves to ensuring that the future is different than the past and choosing to change. I am committed, and I believe change is possible. Together we must all walk the path of reconciliation.
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