National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Statement from the Defence Team Co-Champions for Indigenous Peoples

Statement / September 22, 2025 / National Defence

Greetings, Atelihai, Tawnshi, Uy’ skweyul, kwe

As Defence Co-Champions for Indigenous Peoples, we have the privilege of being a voice for our Indigenous colleagues and stewards of inclusion within the Defence Team. With this privilege comes the responsibility to recognize our shared history, advance reconciliation initiatives, and walk together on the path toward healing and understanding.

As we prepare to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) on September 30, we invite all Defence Team members to take time to reflect, to learn, and to act toward a better tomorrow.

This invitation extends beyond September 30. Reconciliation is an everyday commitment and a shared responsibility that must be woven into our actions, our decisions, and our culture. It must be the foundation of a more inclusive future.

As Canadians, we are known for compassion. As Defence Team members, we are trusted to defend and protect. That is why we cannot remain indifferent to the scars left by the Residential School system. We must recognize the devastating impact this system has had on generations of Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report ten years ago, we’ve seen meaningful progress. Indigenous cultural elements are now present in our training, ceremonies, and events. We are proud of this progress, but we must sustain the momentum.

As the late Senator Murray Sinclair, Chair of the TRC, said “Education is what got us into this mess, and education will get us out.”

Your Defence Team Champions for Indigenous People,

Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander Canadian Army,
Defence Team Champion for Indigenous Peoples and military co-chair of the Defence Team Indigenous Affairs Committee

Peter Hammerschmidt, Assistant Deputy Minister,
Infrastructure and Environment, Defence Team Champion and civilian co-chair of the Defence Team Indigenous Affairs Committee