Policy positions.

1. Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and reconciliation.

The Federation of Canadian Secondary Students / Fédération des élèves du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC) acknowledges Indigenous Peoples as the as the customary keepers and defenders of the land on which we do our work. We recognize that much of Turtle Island, or what we now refer to as Canada, is unceded, unsurrendered Territory belonging to Indigenous Peoples whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.

The FCSS-FESC honours and respects Indigenous Peoples' long history of welcoming many Nations to this territory and will work to uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation. We commit to creating spaces for Indigenous self-representation wherever possible and will never presume to speak on behalf of an Indigenous Person or Indigenous Nation.

Further, the FCSS-FESC respects and affirms the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land. The FCSS-FESC has and will continue to honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty of Indigenous Nations and Peoples.

We acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures, and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe our work contributes to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together. We endorse the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action and commit to grounding our work in these principles.

This land acknowledgment was developed by members of the Algonquin community in Ottawa and we thank them for their generosity and collaboration.

2. Commitment to fighting anti-Black racism.

The Federation of Canadian Secondary Students / Fédération des enfants du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC) denounces all forms of anti-Black racism, colonialism, and white supremacy. While the United States has been the focal point, we know these systems have a long history and deep roots in Canada where Black and Indigenous Peoples have long been denied their human rights.

As organizations working directly in the areas of mental health and the advancement of public education, we know that Black and Indigenous communities have much worse health outcomes and exponentially higher rates of poverty than white Canadians and that this is a both a result of and a strategy to maintain systemic oppression. We have a responsibility to ensure that our work in these areas contributes to ending anti-Black and anti- Indigenous racism, which cannot be done without critical self-reflection, education and dialogue.

We will learn from and work with Black and Indigenous community members, service users, educators, leaders, policy makers and organizations to ensure our programs and services are relevant and barrier-free. We will work with them to ground our research and develop policy solutions that dismantle systemic violence and colonialism and lead us towards true democracy, safety and inclusion.