• Français
FacebookTwitterYoutubeInstagram
Find Your Local Union
Subscribe to E-news
 
Login
Contact

UFCW Canada - Union Logo

Canada's Private Sector Union

  • About Our Union
  • Media & News
  • Resources
  • Issues
  • Action Centre
  • Join the Union

UFCW Canada Indigenous Sub-Committee participates in “Ask an Elder” event

fShare
Tweet

Toronto – August 31, 2020 – Activists from UFCW Canada’s Indigenous Sub-Committee recently gathered in fellowship and friendship through a virtual meeting with Traditional Indigenous Elder Dr. Duke Redbird, as part of the Myseum of Toronto’s “Ask an Elder” series.

Elder Redbird is a respected poet, painter, broadcaster, filmmaker, and keynote speaker on Indigenous knowledge. During the virtual gathering, he offered the committee members an opportunity to explore topics of their choice through an Indigenous perspective.

Elder Redbird also shared a teaching on how the food chain introduced the Seven Grandfather Teachings from the forest, explaining, “we could point to nature and show how nature in her ultimate omnipotent wisdom created a world in the blink of an eye where all the sustenance we needed to live a good life were all there, and all the lessons we needed to carry us forward were all there as well.”

These lessons were a powerful reminder of how interconnected our food system is to Indigenous culture, Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and workers’ rights. UFCW Canada members, including members of the Indigenous Sub-Committee, work in all aspects of the food chain, from farm fields to food manufacturing plants to grocery stores, and the teachings of this session resonated with many of the participants.
 
“The lessons of this special gathering have reinforced our union’s commitment to carry out our work on behalf of the membership within a Reconciliation framework,” says Emmanuelle Lopez, UFCW Canada’s Human Rights, Equity, and Diversity Co-ordinator. “Our thanks to Elder Redbird and to the Myseum of Toronto for holding such a memorable community event,” she adds.

A video recording of the “Ask an Elder” session is available for viewing below.

As Canada’s leading union, UFCW is committed to achieving Indigenous justice and advancing Indigenous rights in Canada. To learn more about our union’s work in this area, visit UFCW Canada’s Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation webpage.

  • Media & News
    • News
      • All News
      • Agriculture
      • By the Numbers
      • Campaigns
      • Directions Newsletter
      • Infographics
      • Politics
      • Social Justice
      • Women and Gender Equity
      • Young Workers
      • Health & Safety
    • Media
      • Videos
      • Photo Gallery
      • Posters
    • Subscribe to E-news
  • Join the Union
  • About Our Union
    • About Our Union
      • Find Your Local Union
      • National President
      • National Council
      • Constitution
      • Union History
      • Mission Statement
      • Annual Reports
      • Join UFCW Canada
  • Media & News
    • Media & News
      • News
      • Media
      • Subscribe to E-news
  • Resources
    • Resources
      • Union Training & Scholarships
      • Health & Safety
      • The National Defence Fund
      • Member Discounts
      • Great Canadian Food Products
      • UFCW Canada Equity Grant Program
  • Issues
    • Issues
      • Leukemia Fundraising
      • Political Action
      • Women and Gender Equity
      • Social Justice
      • The Union for Agriculture Workers
      • UFCW Pride – Union Pride!
      • Young Workers
      • Food Justice
      • Global Solidarity
      • Uber Drivers United
      • Conscious Cannabis
  • Action Centre
    • Action Centre
      • Stop the Hate! Support an anti-racist COVID-19 recovery
      • Add Your Voice to the Call for Universal Childcare
      • Take Action to Protect Farm Workers and Canada’s Food Supply
      • Show your support for frontline workers
      • Help Food Processing Workers!
      • Economic Security for All
      • What you need to know about COVID-19
      • Stand against conversion therapy in Canada
      • Support the expansion of EI benefits
      • Tell Coca-Cola to respect workers’ rights
      • Help support justice for First Nations children in Canada
      • Support Uber Drivers
      • Tell leading grocery giants across Canada to protect workers and ditch toxic receipts
      • Support good union jobs at The Beer Store
      • #NoMore campaign to end gender-based violence
      • Help close the Gender Wage Gap today
      • Stop Cargill’s union-busting in Turkey
  • Join the Union
    • Join the Union
      • Why UFCW Canada
      • Union Advantage
      • Union Facts
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Everything About Unions
      • Workplaces We Represent
      • How to Join a Union
      • Join Now

Login

FacebookTwitterYoutubeInstagram

Copyright © 2021 UFCW Canada. All Rights Reserved
United Food and Commercial Workers Union
Canada's private sector union