Urban Commitments to Reconciliation

Current Reality

The most recent census counted 1.67 million Indigenous people in Canada in 2016, or 4.9% of the total population. About half (44%) of the Indigenous population—representing 731,480 First Nations people, Métis and Inuit—lived in one of 49 urban areas large enough to be divided into neighbourhoods (or census tracts). NationTalk. Dec. 10, 2019).

Aug. 30, 2018: The very first Summit of First Nations and Municipalities on Reconciliation was held today, at Montréal city hall. Among other issues, today’s discussions focused on:

• the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its impact on municipalities;
• examples of positive partnerships between municipalities and First Nations communities.

The Ville de Montréal, Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador, (AFNQL), the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) and the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM), all made multiple commitments towards Reconciliation:

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-first-nations-and-quebec-municipalities-advocate-resoundingly-for-reconciliation-692099651.html

51% identified as First Nations, 45% as Métis and 1% as Inuit.