Tomorrow, June 21, marks National Indigenous Peoples Day – a reminder for all of us to continue engaging in the journey to truth and reconciliation by learning more about Canada’s past to help change the future.

One way to do this is by watching the new limited series, Little Bird on Crave or APTN Lumi, created by ACTRA member Jennifer Podemski and featuring ACTRA members from across the country. The series follows the story of an Indigenous woman who was adopted into a Jewish family during the Sixties Scoop, which was a period during which Indigenous children were abducted and then placed into foster homes before eventually being adopted out by predominantly non-Indigenous families. Today, there are more Indigenous children in custody of the child welfare system than ever before. You can learn more about the Sixties Scoop and how to take action through the Sixties Scoop Network.

In Canada’s reconciliation efforts, it is also important to keep holding the Canadian government accountable for implementing the remaining Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 2015 report and the 231 Calls for Justice in the Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 2019 report.

In solidarity,

Eleanor Noble
ACTRA National President