June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, we honour the histories, cultures, resistance, and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island. This is a day to celebrate Indigenous resurgence and to reflect on the responsibilities we all carry as people living and working on Indigenous lands.
At CUPW, we recognize the leadership, strength, and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples—who, despite generations of colonial violence, continue to protect the land, hold sacred knowledge, and imagine freer futures. In our struggles as workers, we look to Indigenous Peoples for inspiration: for ways of living rooted in care, balance, relationship, and respect.
This year’s Indigenous poster is a work of art by Calvin Paul, a 17-year old self-taught artist from Rolling River First Nation. Calvin grew up in foster care and has spent most of his life away from his community and culture. Like many other Indigenous people who experience displacement, he continues to navigate the complex journey of reconnecting with his roots, identity, and traditional practices.
Calvin’s painting places the Earth at the centre. It comes from a place of longing—for connection, for belonging, for meaning. Even when the world shifts around us, Mother Earth remains. She reminds us that we are all part of something larger. That we still belong. That we can still care.
The painting also represents the Medicine Wheel, a sacred symbol that teaches about the cycles of life, about balance and healing, and about the power of interconnection. In the artwork, strands stretch outward like interlocked arms—symbolizing unity, responsibility, and shared commitments:
As CUPW members, we are fully aware of injustice in our working lives. But we can draw strength from our connections—with each other, with our union, and with those working for justice across our communities.
On this day, we recommit to standing in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in their fight for land, language, and sovereignty, to learning from Indigenous teachings that show us how to live in balance and care, and to building a world rooted in dignity, justice, and respect for all beings.
In Solidarity,
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