Celebrated on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day aims to recognize and honour the heritage, cultures, contributions, and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This day coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. This day of light holds profound symbolic significance for many Indigenous peoples who have celebrated it for generations.

Indigenous peoples are not cultural minorities

We recently learned with satisfaction of the withdrawal of Bill 1, the Constitution Act, 2025, concerning Quebec. It is worth recalling that this proposed “constitution” by Minister Jolin-Barrette represented an attack on democracy and the rule of law, and also perpetuated a colonial logic that denied Indigenous peoples the right to self-determination.

In parliamentary committee hearings on this matter, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec and Labrador reminded the Quebec government that Indigenous peoples in Quebec have their own territories, populations, and political institutions. Indigenous peoples cannot be reduced to mere linguistic, cultural, or symbolic considerations to be protected. They are peoples with a right to self-determination recognized by international law.

Without the sustained mobilization of civil society, community organizations, unions (including the CCMM-CSN), human rights organizations, legal associations, and Indigenous organizations, this bill would undoubtedly have already been passed. We applaud this alliance, which demonstrates that together we can make a difference.

The Central Council of Metropolitan Montreal-CSN includes many members from Indigenous communities, particularly in Nunavik and Eeyou Istchee Baie-James, and positions itself as a tireless defender of the right of all peoples to political autonomy. We encourage our unions to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day so that our members can learn more about the history, cultural diversity, knowledge, and traditions of Indigenous peoples.

Several useful resources for celebrating this day: https://www.csn.qc.ca/autochtones/