Residential Reconciliation
Recommendations
To be able to fully reconcile we need to hold all levels of government accountable. There need to be more Indigenous people in power, so they can change things that are affecting their communities and others.
A good place to start would be ensuring clean drinking water in all communities, building safe and comfortable housing, and addressing the systemic racial tensions between the healthcare systems, the RCMP and Indigenous communities. We need to ask the Indigenous community what we can do and then just listen to them.
The TRC and 94 Calls to Action
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed to act as a bridge in order to reconcile with the indigenous community. From 2008-2015 the TRC held hearings where they listened to thousands of residential school survivors tell their stories. In June 2015 the TRC released a full report on the hearings. This report showcased the 94 calls to action. The calls to action are 94 steps to take to achieve reconciliation. Out of the 94 calls to action, 18 have not been looked at, 32 are being looked over, 31 are underway, and 13 are complete.
The 18 Not Looked At
The 18 calls to action not looked at are as follows;
Publish annual reports on the number of Aboriginal children in care
Publish annual reports on education funding and educational and income attainments
Eliminate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody
Commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems
Review and amend statutes of limitations
Develop FASD preventative programs that can be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner
Ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ territorial protocols are respected by officials and host countries of international sporting events
Corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
Prime Minister of Canada to issue an annual 'State of Aboriginal Peoples' report
Require publicly-funded denominational schools to teach comparative religious studies including Aboriginal spiritual beliefs
Mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation with a funding program for commemoration projects on theme of reconciliation
Amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to ensure policies are inclusive to Aboriginal Peoples
Government of Canada to develop policy of transparency on legal opinions upon which it acts in regard to Aboriginal and Treaty rights
Adopt legal principles on Aboriginal title claims
Provide multi-year funding for the National Council for Reconciliation
Provide annual reports or any current data requested by the National Council for Reconciliation
Develop a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation to be issued by the Crown
Develop and sign a Covenant of Reconciliation among parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
The 32 Being Looked Over
The 32 calls to action currently being looked over are as follows;
Library and Archives Canada to adopt UNDRIP, ensure records on residential schools accessible to public
Council of Ministers of Education Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues
Establish a National Council for Reconciliation
Establish Indigenous law institutes
Develop and implement procedures for the identification and maintenance of residential school cemeteries
Inform the families of children who died at residential schools of the child’s burial location
Establish and maintain an online registry of residential school cemeteries
Journalism programs and media schools to require education for all students on the history of Aboriginal peoples
Records on the deaths of Aboriginal children in residential schools to go to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Commission and install a Residential Schools Monument in each capital city
Commission and install a Residential Schools Monument in Ottawa
Aboriginal communities should lead development of residential school cemetery identification and maintenance strategies
Ensure lawyers receive appropriate cultural competency training
Reaffirm the independence of the RCMP to investigate crimes in which the government is a potential party
Implement and evaluate community sanctions that will provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment
Eliminate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody over the next decade
Work collaboratively with plaintiffs not included in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
Require all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law
Provide more supports for Aboriginal programming in halfway houses and parole services
Eliminate barriers to the creation of additional Aboriginal healing lodges within the federal correctional system
Undertake reforms to the criminal justice system to better address the needs of offenders with FASD
Amend the Criminal Code to allow trial judges to depart from mandatory minimum sentences
Identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities
Recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people
Require all medical and nursing students to take a course dealing with Aboriginal health issues
Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health care field
Reduce the number of Aboriginal children in care
Develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families
Eliminate the discrepancy in federal education funding between on-reserve and off-reserve students
Draft new Aboriginal education legislation
Provide adequate funding for First Nations students seeking post-secondary education
Repeal the "spanking law"
The 31 Underway
The 31 calls to action currently in progress are as follows;
Governments to repudiate Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius and reform laws that rely on such concepts
Church parties to the residential schools settlement and other faith groups to adopt and comply with UNDRIP
Adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
All faith groups to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius
Develop a national plan, strategies and other concrete measures to achieve the goals of the UNDRIP, Establish Indigenous law institutes
Church parties to the residential schools settlement and other faith groups to adopt and comply with UNDRIP
Faith groups to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities
The Pope to issue an apology to residential school survivors
Educate public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples
A national review of museum policies and best practices
Establish multi-year funding for youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation
Establish a national research program with multi-year funding to advance understanding of reconciliation
Develop and fund Aboriginal content in education
Develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration
Commit to funding of $10 million over seven years to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Archives to provide residential school records to National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Develop and maintain the National Residential School Student Death Register created by the TRC
Revise the information kit for newcomers and citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
Ensure that national sports policies, programs and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal Peoples
Tell the stories of Aboriginal athletes in history
Create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services
Provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence
Provide sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal healing centers
Recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Aboriginal peoples
Recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients
Waive administrative costs for five years for revision of official identity documents
Develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs
Enact an Aboriginal Language Act
Eliminate educational and employment gaps
Enact child welfare legislation that establishes national standards for Aboriginal child apprehension and custody cases
Implement Jordan's Principle
The 13 Complete
The 13 calls to action that are complete are as follows;
Establish a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday
A national review of archival policies
Church parties to residential school settlement to educate congregations on why apologies necessary
Continued support for the North American Indigenous Games
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network to support reconciliation
Restore and increase funding to the CBC/Radio-Canada to enable it to support reconciliation
Canada Council for the Arts to establish a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects
Replace the Oath of Citizenship
Collect and publish data on the criminal victimization of Aboriginal people
Appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls
Create university and college degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages
Appoint an Aboriginal Languages Commissioner
Acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights