Silas: We commit to use our voices and power to stand up for Indigenous Peoples’ safety and inclusion.
June 3, 2025 (Niagara Falls, ON) – Today, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) apologised to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples for the harms Indigenous Peoples have faced historically and currently face in health care.
“Indigenous people deserve the very best care possible. They deserve to feel safe in our care and to trust that nurses are effective advocates for them. Too often, this has not been the case,” explained Linda Silas, CFNU President. “We have been silent on the racism and harm Indigenous people have experienced in our health care system, and the ways they continue to. This silence is complicity, and we must break it. Acknowledging this truth with humility and a willingness to learn more lays the foundation for a path towards meaningful reconciliation.”
The day’s events opened with a traditional sunrise ceremony and fire, led by Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper Valarie King, to start the day in a good way.
With the understanding of how important knowledge is to a meaningful apology, members attended an Indigenous health panel exploring the themes of CFNU’s new report, Beyond Equity: Taking Action to Address Indigenous-Specific Racism in Nursing, authored by Dr. Lisa Bourque Bearskin. The panel featured award-winning physician Dr. Alika Lafontaine, Mi’kmaw RN Dawn GooGoo, Indigenous nursing leader Kerri Nuku of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and Lheidli T’enneh nurse Candi DeSousa.
Silas began the apology by paying respects to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Knowledge Holders and Elders of the past, present and emerging. Joined by the CFNU’s National Executive Board, Silas spoke to nearly 1,200 union nurses about the harms Indigenous people have faced historically and currently face in care and about CFNU’s commitment to doing better. They spoke to colonization and health care, the withholding of care, the realities of Indian hospitals, forced sterilizations and the recognition that racism continues to threaten Indigenous patient safety.
“The truth is that nurses were present when unethical medical practices have occurred. We were in those rooms, and we did not stop what was happening,” Silas explained. “We deeply apologize to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples for our actions that have caused you harm, and for the harm caused by our silence.”
On June 6, CFNU members will table a motion to immediately start work on a plan to set out tasks and goals to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation, while being accountable to Indigenous Peoples and to members.
The CFNU’s apology follows the Canadian Medical Association’s (CMA) research on the history of how Canada’s health care system and the medical profession have been used to harm Indigenous Peoples. CMA’s research and apology in September 2024 served as an important reminder of the role of nurses, and the need to apologize in order to work towards being better partners with Indigenous Peoples.
The CFNU thanks teacher and facilitator Rose LeMay and the Indigenous Nurse Advisory Committee members, who provided direction and advice on how to do this work in a good way.
Learn more about the CFNU’s path to an apology here.
The full apology can be found here.
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The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing 250,000 frontline unionized nurses and nursing students in every sector of health care – from home care and LTC to community and acute care – and advocating on key priorities to strengthen public health care across the country.
For more information, please contact Adella Khan, media@nursesunions.ca, 613‑807‑2942.