Three motions were passed at Monday’s city council meeting that was noted by the mayor and some counselors as ‘historic’.

The motions were tied to the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was completed in December 2015, which is a mandate to inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential schools.

The first motion was to adopt six recommendations from the Commission that the city would be able to act upon as a municipality, while the second and third motions were to endorse the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and the concept of Terra Nullius.

Mayor Dennis Fenske says that the city acting on recommendations will be a large step forward in keeping relations with Aboriginals and Indigenous people strong.

“The City of Winnipeg has declared that 2016 is the year of reconciliation, the City of Saskatoon has done the same. And so, as leaders of municipal government in our community, we feel it’s correct to step up to the plate and play a lead role in adopting some of the calls to action and moving our relationship forward with First Nations and Indigenous peoples in the north.”

The motions were passed unanimously by the counselors in attendance.