City of Waterloo council summary June 3, 2024

** The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at Monday's council meeting. The council meeting webcast is available on the City of Waterloo YouTube page. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.

Council recognizes Pride month and Indigenous History Month

Council opened Monday’s meeting by recognizing Pride Month, noting that Pride is a time to recognize and celebrate Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, or 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Pride is celebrated in June to mark the first large-scale protests for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights that took place, most notably the Stonewall riots in 1969.

The rainbow colours of Pride are an important symbol of diversity, support and welcome. The many rainbows throughout our community serve as a reminder that while there is a lot to celebrate, there is still more work to do.

Council also recognized Indigenous History Month, an opportunity for everyone to learn about the unique heritage, history and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Turtle Island, who call this area home locally.

It's a time to honour stories, achievements and the strength of Indigenous Peoples. It is also a time to change perspectives and build better relationships by following through on the recommendations in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

City of Waterloo receives replica Wampum belts

In the spirit of Reconciliation and Indigenous History Month, the City of Waterloo commissioned three replica Wampum belts. Kahlunyunti (Martin Powless) of Oneida Nation of the Thames, the artist who recreated the belts, presented the belts to Council and provided some teaching on their history.

The three belts are the Hiawatha Wampum, the Two-Row Wampum and the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. These belts are a physical representation of the oral history of treaties and settlement of the area around the Great Lakes Region extending along a portion of the St. Lawrence River, which we all call home. These are significant representations of our colonial history and are still seen to this day as a reminder to all of us of the responsibilities we hold as treaty people.

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Media contact:
Cari Van Niekerk
Director, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca