MP calls for Aboriginal Day to be stat holiday

An MP from northern Saskatchewan is leading the charge to make a day honouring the aboriginal peoples of Canada into a national holiday.

Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River MP Georgina Jolibois tabled a private member’s bill on Thursday that would make National Aboriginal Day a statutory holiday across the country. Bill C-361 is her first private member’s bill.

“I’m very proud to have done this, to have made the move to request to make it a national holiday,” she said in an interview.

June 21 was declared National Aboriginal Day by the federal government in 1996. It’s already an official statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories (since 2011) and the Yukon (since May).

Jolibois said this is an excellent chance for Canada to more officially recognize its indigenous population.

“It’s a terrific opportunity to build relationships and to strengthen relationships with all Canadians across Canada, as well as new Canadians,” she said. “There should be a section in (the citizenship test) to teach about the history of First Nations peoples and Metis peoples and the Inuit peoples across Canada.”

Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said the bill shows some real commitment on the part of the government, but “investment first, before recognition,” is more important at the ground level in First Nations communities.

“Recognition is great work. It’s symbolic, and it’s part of the TRC Calls to Action,” Cameron said. “What I’m saying is more meaningful work would be the true investment, the flow-through of investment, to get to our communities. That’s where we’ll have a more positive impact.”

Cameron said the FSIN is pushing for a “national First Nations treaty recognition day” to recognize the treaty rights of First Nations.

For Jolibois, the next part of the process is travelling around the country in an effort to gain more support for Bill C-361 before the vote takes place later this year or in early 2018.