This post includes details about colonialism and residential schools and could be upsetting. If you are a residential school survivor or intergenerational survivor and are in need of support, please call the National Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.
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The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) acknowledges and conveys condolences to Indigenous families as they relive the trauma of the residential school system through the ongoing discoveries of unmarked burial sites.
CPRA calls for action by all levels of government and all Canadians to uncover the full truth of pain and loss incurred by Indigenous Peoples within the residential school system. This pain is by no means confined within the walls of residential schools but exists within the fabric of the spaces and places in which our communities work, live and play.
Since the mandate of the CPRA is rooted in active and healthy use of the land across Canada, CPRA members are positioned to guide our sector in seeking reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples that have stewarded this land since the beginning.
The CPRA recognizes its role in implementing the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission through all available avenues of action. CPRA will continue on an earnest journey of learning about the violence and trauma brought about by Canada’s historic and ongoing policies to marginalize Indigenous Peoples.
This action begins with hearing and truly listening to the stories we are being told by Indigenous Peoples and responding meaningfully with real reconciliatory action.
The CPRA Board has endorsed the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. And, the Board and staff operate in the spirit of reconciliation by establishing and maintaining respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and by adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a framework for future activities.
CPRA works every day to ensure that our programs and policies are rooted in a lens that recognizes the role of our sector in contributing to the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples and are focused on positive change. We will continue to strive to learn and grow.
