Our work is about caring for community. That starts with recognizing whose land we are on, and the responsibilities that come with it.
Today, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. We honour the children who never came home from residential schools, the Survivors, and their families and communities. Every Child Matters.
MiVolunteer began in Mississauga, and our operating name, the Mississauga Volunteers' Association, carries the name of this place. We acknowledge that the land we started on, and still do much of our work on, is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We also acknowledge the Haudenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat and the Anishinaabe peoples, whose histories on these lands go back thousands of years.
Much of the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to share and care for the land and its resources peacefully, so that there is enough for everyone. We carry that responsibility too.
Our Ottawa branch works on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.
Across Ontario, we volunteer and serve on the lands of many First Nations, and alongside Inuit and Métis communities, covered by treaties and in territories that were never ceded. We are grateful to live, work and volunteer here.
An acknowledgement is only words unless it leads to action. The ongoing effects of colonialism, including the residential school system, are still felt by Indigenous families and communities today. We commit to keep learning, to listen, and to make our programs and volunteer opportunities welcoming and safe for Indigenous volunteers and communities.
September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It honours the children who never returned home from residential schools, the Survivors, and their families and communities. Wearing orange on September 30 is a way to show that Every Child Matters.
Reconciliation is not a single day. We encourage our volunteers, staff and partners to learn the history of the lands where they live and volunteer, to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and to support Indigenous-led organizations in their communities.
If you are a Survivor or have been affected by residential schools, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line offers support 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419. The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available to all Indigenous people across Canada at 1-855-242-3310.
We know this acknowledgement is a starting point, and we will keep improving it. If you would like to share feedback, please contact us.
