The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) was established in 1959, in the context of violent state policies targeting Indigenous communities including the Potlatch ban, the 60s scoop, and residential schools. These policies were not part of some dark chapter, ended and in the past, as injustice and violence against Indigenous people are ongoing.

CMC Canada is a national organization with centres in five different regions across the country, sited on the traditional territories of hundreds of distinct First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Turtle Island. Acknowledging the land is to recognize that the CMC has been a part of racist policies that devalue and seek to erase Indigenous cultural expression.  It is for this reason that we are working collaboratively with our Indigenous Advisory Council and the Accountability for Change Council to address this history and accept responsibility as active partners in the reconciliation and redress of CMC’s catalogue and programming.

We encourage community members to familiarize themselves with the 94 calls to action that were released in 2015 as part of the Truth And Reconciliation Commission’s final report. We would also encourage you to follow some of the efforts that the CMC is taking to address these calls by viewing the webpage about our Accountability for Change and Indigenous Advisory Councils.

We thank the Indigenous people who share this land with us and allow us to be here as uninvited guests. Today, we join our voices in celebration of the diverse beauty of Indigenous cultures and move forward in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation.

For more information:

https://cmccanada.org/accountabilityforchange/
https://cmccanada.org/indigenous-advisory-council/