September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour the thousands of children who never made it home from residential schools, as well as the survivors, their families and communities.
This year, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is being observed on October 2. It is an invitation and opportunity to learn about Canada’s history of oppression against Indigenous communities, and to reflect on the actions needed to move forward towards reconciliation.
Indigenous communities continue to face human rights abuses. Systemic racism, violence, extreme poverty, and lack of food access are just some of the realities faced by Indigenous peoples across the country.
The Food Banks Canada Hunger Count 2022 report showed that the percentage of Indigenous Peoples accessing a food bank rose from 8% in 2021 to 15.3% in 2022. In fact, according to Daily Bread’s 2022 Who’s Hungry report, previous research shows that Indigenous Peoples experience the highest level and the greatest depth of food insecurity in Canada, with off-reserve households more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity and hunger than non-Indigenous populations. Half (50%) of Indigenous clients surveyed by Daily Bread did not eat for a whole day almost every month because there was not enough money for food, versus 42% of non-Indigenous clients.
As a Rights-Based organization, Daily Bread Food Bank is committed to facilitating food access to communities in need. At the same time, we call on all levels of government to create the conditions needed to ensure everyone can realize their right to food.
We continue to reflect on the struggles faced by Indigenous communities, our commitments, and the actions we can all take to make change. We invite you to do the same.
In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, you can participate and learn more by:
