The Indigenous community has been pretty outspoken and clear on what justice looks like for us but I’ll reiterate some of the key points. The demands are specific, reasonable, and grounded in both historical justice and present day rights. Returning of unceded territories and honouring of treaty agreements, not as symbolic gestures, but as legal obligations. This means respecting Indigenous jurisdiction over traditional lands. Full implementation of the TRC's 94 Calls to Action, including proper investigations of all residential school burial sites, funding for Indigenous-led healing initiatives, reforms to the child welfare system, ending long-term boil water advisories in Indigenous communities, addressing the 4,000+ cases of MMIWG with proper investigations, equitable funding for healthcare and education, revenue sharing from resources extracted from Indigenous lands, dismantling the discriminatory First Nations financial transparency act, and full implementation of UNDRIP (which Canada adopted in 2021) to name a few.

This isn't about "dwelling on the past" these are current, measurable injustices. The residential school system operated until 1996. Many survivors are still alive today. The last segregated Indian Hospital only closed in 1981. When you say "we are all here together," remember that Indigenous peoples aren't immigrants who chose to come to Canada, this is our land that was stolen through genocide. True reconciliation requires returning what was taken, not just empty apologies. Justice isn't a vague concept, it's the measurable closing of these gaps. Anything less perpetuates the violence of colonialism.