First Nations, Inuit and Metis are a strong and resilient peoples. Today, on the soil of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 lands, we remember, acknowledge and respect what Indigenous people have, and many continue, to endure.
It is critical for the Province of Alberta to whole-heartedly listen to and understand this history, so we can move forward, together, in a good way. We must honour what has happened in the past, in order to understand how that history affects us all today, and how this understanding can help us shape our collective future.
The Sixties Scoop and Residential School System was an attempt to erase the Indigenous community’s entire identity. Children were taken from their homes and many did not go home. Families were fractured and many still suffer intergenerational trauma. Languages were silenced and culture was lost.
Despite these profound challenges, the defining narrative of Alberta’s Indigenous peoples is not one of defeat, but of breathtaking resilience.
“How We Get There Matters” - Chief PoundMaker
The Progressive Tory Party of Alberta honours that Indigenous people are fundamental to this province’s well-being and
prosperity. We cannot rewrite the past, but we have the ability to write the next chapter together.
Chief Littlechild described reconciliation as restoring respectful relationships. The Tory Party believes that true reconciliation is not enacted once a year, but is, instead, an on-going, rewarding process of collaboration.
Economic reconciliation is a critical aspect of the healing process. The province and Indigenous communities can prosper together as family. We are all stronger when we can walk the path of success together.
Indigenous communities are foundational pillars of our province. As we look to the horizon, the Tory Party envisions an Alberta where the wounds of the past are met with the healing of accountability, where institutional respect is the baseline, and prosperity is shared.
The Progressive Tory Party of Alberta is committed to moving forward with Treaty Nations in the spirit of peace, respect, and enduring relations.