Toronto has become the first municipality in Ontario to create a resource that will help newcomers understand and build meaningful relationships with Indigenous people.
Developed in partnership with OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants and Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services – ‘Indigenous Peoples in Toronto: An Introduction for Newcomers’ introduces immigrants to First Nations, Inuit and Métis history, cultures and perspectives.
The guide is intended to build meaningful relationships between Indigenous Peoples and newcomers as well as provide settlement service providers, ESL instructors and staff who work with and for new immigrants with tools to support this learning, through an accompanying facilitator’s guide.
The launch at David Pecaut Square featured remarks from Indigenous Elders, City staff and leaders within the newcomer and refugee service sector, including Toronto and York Region Métis Council and Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. Attendees were treated to a marketplace featuring Indigenous and newcomer food, craft vendors and cultural performances from Lena Recollet, Borelson and Indigenous youth singers Wynona Maracle and Ariyha Syvret.
The City says it grateful to the 10-member Indigenous Newcomer Advisory Circle and all the Indigenous and newcomer community organizations that generously contributed time and expertise to the development of this invaluable resource. This project was made possible by funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Indigenous Peoples in Toronto: An Introduction for Newcomers is available on the City’s After You Arrive webpage. It aligns with and responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #93 – Newcomers to Canada, as well as the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan and its Actions to Restore Truth, the City said in a statement.
