National Day for Truth & Reconciliation: a personal reflection from CWA Canada President Carmel Smyth

I want to share our appreciation to all the Metis, Dene and Indigenous families and friends we grew up with in Uranium City.

We sat beside you in school, played on the playground, at the rink and on the softball field, not realizing how much more difficult and unfair life was for you.

No one used the word racism then, but now we know kids were taken from their parents, families barred from living in town, and not given the same opportunities as the others who came for work.

We still see the health effects of living near uranium and other toxic mining in northern Indigenous communities. So much we should have done differently.

Apologies may not mean much at this late stage, but on National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, so many of us have had our eyes opened, and our hearts bleed for the continued anti-Indigenous racism and generational trauma.

We are grateful to everyone who is working every day to change this and make amends.