Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada:
Calls to Action

Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada:
Calls to Action

This report is in the public domain. Anyone may, without charge or request for
permission, reproduce all or part of this report.
2015
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012
1500–360 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 3Z3
Telephone: (204) 984-5885
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Fax: (204) 984-5915
E-mail: info@trc.ca
Website: www.trc.ca

1

Calls to Action
In order to redress the legacy of residential schools andpublish annual reports on the number of Aboriginaladvance the process of Canadian reconciliation, the Truth

children (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) who are in

and Reconciliation Commission makes the following calls tocare, compared with non-Aboriginal children, as wellaction.

as the reasons for apprehension, the total spending on
preventive and care services by child-welfare agencies,
and the effectiveness of various interventions.

Legacy3.

Child welfare
1.

We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, andJordan’s Principle.
4.

We call upon the federal government to enact Aboriginal

Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing thechild-welfare legislation that establishes national

number of Aboriginal children in care by:standards for Aboriginal child apprehension andcustody cases and includes principles that:i. Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations.

i. Affirm the right of Aboriginal governments toii. Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal

establish and maintain their own child-welfare

communities and child-welfare organizations toagencies.

keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to
do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate

ii. Require all child-welfare agencies and courts to takeenvironments, regardless of where they reside.

the residential school legacy into account in theirdecision making.

iii. Ensuring that social workers and others who
conduct child-welfare investigations are properlyiii. Establish, as an important priority, a requirement

educated and trained about the history and impacts

that placements of Aboriginal children intoof residential schools.

temporary and permanent care be culturally
appropriate.

iv. Ensuring that social workers and others who
conduct child-welfare investigations are properly

5.

We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial,

educated and trained about the potential for

and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally

Aboriginal communities and families to provide

appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families.

more appropriate solutions to family healing.
v. Requiring that all child-welfare decision makers
consider the impact of the residential school

Education
6.

We call upon the federal government, in collaboration
with the provinces and territories, to prepare andWe call upon the Government of Canada to repeal
Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

experience on children and their caregivers.
2.

We call upon all levels of government to fully implement

7.

We call upon the federal government to develop
with Aboriginal groups a joint strategy to eliminate

2 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
educational and employment gaps between Aboriginaland non-Aboriginal Canadians.
8.

We call upon the federal government to eliminate thediscrepancy in federal education funding for First9.

14. We call upon the federal government to enact an
Aboriginal Languages Act that incorporates thefollowing principles:i. Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued

Nations children being educated on reserves and thoseelement of Canadian culture and society, and there

First Nations children being educated off reserves.

is an urgency to preserve them.

We call upon the federal government to prepare andpublish annual reports comparing funding for theeducation of First Nations children on and off reserves,
as well as educational and income attainments of
Aboriginal peoples in Canada compared with nonAboriginal people.

10. We call on the federal government to draft new
Aboriginal education legislation with the fullparticipation and informed consent of Aboriginal

ii. Aboriginal language rights are reinforced by theTreaties.
iii. The federal government has a responsibility toprovide sufficient funds for Aboriginal-language
revitalization and preservation.
iv. The preservation, revitalization, and strengtheningof Aboriginal languages and cultures are best
managed by Aboriginal people and communities.

peoples. The new legislation would include av. Funding for Aboriginal language initiatives must

commitment to sufficient funding and would

reflect the diversity of Aboriginal languages.

incorporate the following principles:

15. We call upon the federal government to appoint, ini. Providing sufficient funding to close identified

consultation with Aboriginal groups, an Aboriginal

educational achievement gaps within one

Languages Commissioner. The commissioner should

generation.

help promote Aboriginal languages and report on theii. Improving education attainment levels and successrates.
iii. Developing culturally appropriate curricula.
iv. Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages,
including the teaching of Aboriginal languages ascredit courses.
v. Enabling parental and community responsibility,

adequacy of federal funding of Aboriginal-languages
initiatives.
16. We call upon post-secondary institutions to create
university and college degree and diploma programs in
Aboriginal languages.
17. We call upon all levels of government to enable
residential school Survivors and their families to reclaim
names changed by the residential school system bycontrol, and accountability, similar to what parents

waiving administrative costs for a period of five years

enjoy in public school systems.

for the name-change process and the revision of official

vi. Enabling parents to fully participate in the educationof their children.

identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports,
driver’s licenses, health cards, status cards, and social
insurance numbers.

vii. Respecting and honouring Treaty relationships.
11. We call upon the federal government to provide
adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations
students seeking a post-secondary education.
12. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial,and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally
appropriate early childhood education programs for
Aboriginal families.

Language and culture
13. We call upon the federal government to acknowledge
that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language
rights.

Health
18. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, andAboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current
state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct resultof previous Canadian government policies, including
residential schools, and to recognize and implement
the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified
in international law, constitutional law, and under theTreaties.
19. We call upon the federal government, in consultation
with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals
to identify and close the gaps in health outcomesCalls to Action| 3
between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities,

Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate crimes inand to publish annual progress reports and assess long-which the government has its own interest as a potential

term trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators suchor real party in civil litigation.

as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental
health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant
and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness andinjury incidence, and the availability of appropriate
health services.
20. In order to address the jurisdictional disputes
concerning Aboriginal people who do not reside on
reserves, we call upon the federal government torecognize, respect, and address the distinct health needsof the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Aboriginal peoples.
21. We call upon the federal government to provide

26. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial
governments to review and amend their respective
statutes of limitations to ensure that they conform to theprinciple that governments and other entities cannot
rely on limitation defences to defend legal actions ofhistorical abuse brought by Aboriginal people.
27. We call upon the Federation of Law Societies of Canada
to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate culturalcompetency training, which includes the history
and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties

sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal

and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–

healing centres to address the physical, mental,

Crown relations. This will require skills-based training

emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential

in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, humanschools, and to ensure that the funding of healing

rights, and anti-racism.

centres in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is apriority.
22. We call upon those who can effect change within the

28. We call upon law schools in Canada to require all law
students to take a course in Aboriginal people and thelaw, which includes the history and legacy of residential

Canadian health-care system to recognize the valueschools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights

of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in theof Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights,

treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with

Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.

Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested byThis will require skills-based training in intercultural

Aboriginal patients.

competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-

23. We call upon all levels of government to:i. Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals
working in the health-care field.
ii. Ensure the retention of Aboriginal health-careproviders in Aboriginal communities.
iii. Provide cultural competency training for all healthcare professionals.
24. We call upon medical and nursing schools in Canada
to require all students to take a course dealing with

racism.
29. We call upon the parties and, in particular, the federal
government, to work collaboratively with plaintiffs notincluded in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement
Agreement to have disputed legal issues determined
expeditiously on an agreed set of facts.
30. We call upon federal, provincial, and territorial
governments to commit to eliminating theoverrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody overthe next decade, and to issue detailed annual reports

Aboriginal health issues, including the history andthat monitor and evaluate progress in doing so.

legacy of residential schools, the United Nations

31. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties

governments to provide sufficient and stable funding

and Aboriginal rights, and Indigenous teachings andto implement and evaluate community sanctions thatpractices. This will require skills-based training inwill provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment forintercultural competency, conflict resolution, humanAboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying

rights, and anti-racism.

causes of offending.

Justice
25. We call upon the federal government to establish awritten policy that reaffirms the independence of the

32. We call upon the federal government to amend the
Criminal Code to allow trial judges, upon giving reasons,to depart from mandatory minimum sentences andrestrictions on the use of conditional sentences.

4 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
33. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial

40. We call on all levels of government, in collaboration

governments to recognize as a high priority the need towith Aboriginal people, to create adequately funded

address and prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorderand accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and(FASD), and to develop, in collaboration with Aboriginal

services with appropriate evaluation mechanisms.

people, FASD preventive programs that can be delivered
in a culturally appropriate manner.
34. We call upon the governments of Canada, the provinces,

41. We call upon the federal government, in consultation
with Aboriginal organizations, to appoint a public
inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, theand territories to undertake reforms to the criminal

disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women andjustice system to better address the needs of offenders

girls. The inquiry’s mandate would include:with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD),
including:i. Providing increased community resources andpowers for courts to ensure that FASD is properly
diagnosed, and that appropriate community
supports are in place for those with FASD.
ii. Enacting statutory exemptions from mandatory
minimum sentences of imprisonment for offenders
affected by FASD.
iii. Providing community, correctional, and parole

i. Investigation into missing and murdered Aboriginal
women and girls.
ii. Links to the intergenerational legacy of residential
schools.
42. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial
governments to commit to the recognition andimplementation of Aboriginal justice systems in amanner consistent with the Treaty and Aboriginalrights of Aboriginal peoples, the Constitution Act, 1982,
and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofresources to maximize the ability of people with

Indigenous Peoples, endorsed by Canada in November

FASD to live in the community.

2012.

iv. Adopting appropriate evaluation mechanisms tomeasure the effectiveness of such programs andensure community safety.

Reconciliation

barriers to the creation of additional Aboriginal healing

Canadian Governments and the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

lodges within the federal correctional system.

43. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and

35. We call upon the federal government to eliminate

36. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial
governments to work with Aboriginal communities toprovide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues

municipal governments to fully adopt and implement
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation.

such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence,

44. We call upon the Government of Canada to develop

and overcoming the experience of having been sexuallya national action plan, strategies, and other concreteabused.

measures to achieve the goals of the United Nations

37. We call upon the federal government to provide more
supports for Aboriginal programming in halfway houses
and parole services.
38. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, andDeclaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Royal Proclamation and Covenantof Reconciliation
45. We call upon the Government of Canada, on behalf ofAboriginal governments to commit to eliminating the

all Canadians, to jointly develop with Aboriginal peoples

overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody overa Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation to be issued by

the next decade.

the Crown. The proclamation would build on the Royal

39. We call upon the federal government to develop a

Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaty of Niagara of 1764,

national plan to collect and publish data on the criminal

and reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between

victimization of Aboriginal people, including data

Aboriginal peoples and the Crown. The proclamation

related to homicide and family violence victimization.

would include, but not be limited to, the following
commitments:

Calls to Action| 5
i. Repudiate concepts used to justify European

47. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, andsovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples suchmunicipal governments to repudiate concepts used toas the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius.

justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples

ii. Adopt and implement the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as
the framework for reconciliation.

and lands, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra
nullius, and to reform those laws, government policies,
and litigation strategies that continue to rely on suchconcepts.

iii. Renew or establish Treaty relationships based on
and shared responsibility for maintaining those

Settlement Agreement Parties and the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

relationships into the future.

48. We call upon the church parties to the Settlement

principles of mutual recognition, mutual respect,

iv. Reconcile Aboriginal and Crown constitutional
and legal orders to ensure that Aboriginal peoples
are full partners in Confederation, including therecognition and integration of Indigenous laws andlegal traditions in negotiation and implementation
processes involving Treaties, land claims, and otherconstructive agreements.
46. We call upon the parties to the Indian Residential
Schools Settlement Agreement to develop and signa Covenant of Reconciliation that would identify
principles for working collaboratively to advanceAgreement, and all other faith groups and interfaithsocial justice groups in Canada who have not alreadydone so, to formally adopt and comply with theprinciples, norms, and standards of the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as aframework for reconciliation. This would include, but
not be limited to, the following commitments:
i. Ensuring that their institutions, policies, programs,
and practices comply with the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
ii. Respecting Indigenous peoples’ right to self-

reconciliation in Canadian society, and that would

determination in spiritual matters, including

include, but not be limited to:

the right to practise, develop, and teach theiri. Reaffirmation of the parties’ commitment to

own spiritual and religious traditions, customs,

reconciliation.
ii. Repudiation of concepts used to justify European
sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples,such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius,
and the reformation of laws, governance structures,and policies within their respective institutions that
continue to rely on such concepts.
iii. Full adoption and implementation of the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous

and ceremonies, consistent with Article 12:1 of
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples.
iii. Engaging in ongoing public dialogue and actions to
support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples.
iv. Issuing a statement no later than March 31, 2016,
from all religious denominations and faith groups,
as to how they will implement the United Nations

Peoples as the framework for reconciliation.

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

iv. Support for the renewal or establishment of

49. We call upon all religious denominations and faithTreaty relationships based on principles ofmutual recognition, mutual respect, and shared
responsibility for maintaining those relationships
into the future.

groups who have not already done so to repudiateconcepts used to justify European sovereignty overIndigenous lands and peoples, such as the Doctrine of
Discovery and terra nullius.

Agreement to sign onto the Covenant ofEquity for Aboriginal People
in the Legal System

Reconciliation.

50. In keeping with the United Nations Declaration onv. Enabling those excluded from the Settlement

vi. Enabling additional parties to sign onto theCovenant of Reconciliation.

the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we call upon thefederal government, in collaboration with Aboriginalorganizations, to fund the establishment of Indigenous
law institutes for the development, use, and6 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justiceiv. Promote public dialogue, public/private

in accordance with the unique cultures of Aboriginal

partnerships, and public initiatives forpeoples in Canada.

reconciliation.

51. We call upon the Government of Canada, as an

54. We call upon the Government of Canada to provide

obligation of its fiduciary responsibility, to develop amulti-year funding for the National Council forpolicy of transparency by publishing legal opinions it

Reconciliation to ensure that it has the financial, human,develops and upon which it acts or intends to act, inand technical resources required to conduct its work,

regard to the scope and extent of Aboriginal and Treaty

including the endowment of a National Reconciliationrights.

Trust to advance the cause of reconciliation.

52. We call upon the Government of Canada, provincial

55. We call upon all levels of government to provide annual

and territorial governments, and the courts to adopt thereports or any current data requested by the National

following legal principles:

Council for Reconciliation so that it can report on thei. Aboriginal title claims are accepted once theAboriginal claimant has established occupation overa particular territory at a particular point in time.
ii. Once Aboriginal title has been established, theburden of proving any limitation on any rights
arising from the existence of that title shifts to theparty asserting such a limitation.

National Council for Reconciliation
53. We call upon the Parliament of Canada, in consultationand collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, toenact legislation to establish a National Council for
Reconciliation. The legislation would establish thecouncil as an independent, national, oversight bodyprogress towards reconciliation. The reports or data
would include, but not be limited to:i. The number of Aboriginal children—including Métis
and Inuit children—in care, compared with nonAboriginal children, the reasons for apprehension,and the total spending on preventive and careservices by child-welfare agencies.
ii. Comparative funding for the education of First
Nations children on and off reserves.
iii. The educational and income attainments of
Aboriginal peoples in Canada compared with nonAboriginal people.
iv. Progress on closing the gaps between Aboriginal andwith membership jointly appointed by the Government

non-Aboriginal communities in a number of healthof Canada and national Aboriginal organizations, andindicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health,consisting of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members.

suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy,

Its mandate would include, but not be limited to, thebirth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic

following:

diseases, illness and injury incidence, and thei. Monitor, evaluate, and report annually to Parliament

availability of appropriate health services.

and the people of Canada on the Government ofv. Progress on eliminating the overrepresentation of

Canada’s post-apology progress on reconciliation

Aboriginal children in youth custody over the next

to ensure that government accountability for

decade.

reconciling the relationship between Aboriginal

vi. Progress on reducing the rate of criminal

peoples and the Crown is maintained in the coming

victimization of Aboriginal people, includingyears.

data related to homicide and family violence

ii. Monitor, evaluate, and report to Parliament and thevictimization and other crimes.

people of Canada on reconciliation progress acrossvii. Progress on reducing the overrepresentation of

all levels and sectors of Canadian society, including

Aboriginal people in the justice and correctional

the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation

systems.

Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.
iii. Develop and implement a multi-year National

56. We call upon the prime minister of Canada to formally
respond to the report of the National Council for

Action Plan for Reconciliation, which includes

Reconciliation by issuing an annual “State of Aboriginal

research and policy development, public education

Peoples” report, which would outline the government’s

programs, and resources.

plans for advancing the cause of reconciliation.

Calls to Action| 7

Professional Development andTraining for Public Servantsii. Community-controlled culture- and language-

57. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, andiii. Community-controlled education and relationship-municipal governments to provide education to public
servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including
the history and legacy of residential schools, the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, andAboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skillsbased training in intercultural competency, conflict
resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.

revitalization projects.

building projects.
iv. Regional dialogues for Indigenous spiritual leadersand youth to discuss Indigenous spirituality, selfdetermination, and reconciliation.

Education for reconciliation
62. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial
governments, in consultation and collaboration with

Church Apologies and Reconciliation

Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to:58. We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors,

i. Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential

their families, and communities for the Roman Catholicschools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical

Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional,

and contemporary contributions to Canada aphysical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, andmandatory education requirement for Kindergarten

Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We

to Grade Twelve students.

call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology
issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one
year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by
the Pope in Canada.
59. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies
to ensure that their respective congregations learn
about their church’s role in colonization, the history

ii. Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary
institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate
Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods intoclassrooms.
iii. Provide the necessary funding to Aboriginal schools
to utilize Indigenous knowledge and teaching
methods in classrooms.

and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies toiv. Establish senior-level positions in government at theformer residential school students, their families, andassistant deputy minister level or higher dedicated tocommunities were necessary.

Aboriginal content in education.

60. We call upon leaders of the church parties to the63. We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education,

Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, inCanada to maintain an annual commitment tocollaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders,Aboriginal education issues, including:Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and otheri. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to

religious training centres, to develop and teach

Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources

curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy andon Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and thestaff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the needhistory and legacy of residential schools.

to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, thehistory and legacy of residential schools and the rolesof the church parties in that system, the history andlegacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families andcommunities, and the responsibility that churches haveto mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.
61. We call upon church parties to the Settlement
Agreement, in collaboration with Survivors andrepresentatives of Aboriginal organizations, to establish
permanent funding to Aboriginal people for:i. Community-controlled healing and reconciliation
projects.

ii. Sharing information and best practices on teaching
curriculum related to residential schools andAboriginal history.
iii. Building student capacity for intercultural
understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
iv. Identifying teacher-training needs relating to theabove.
64. We call upon all levels of government that provide
public funds to denominational schools to require
such schools to provide an education on comparative
religious studies, which must include a segment on

8 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and practices developed incollaboration with Aboriginal Elders.
65. We call upon the federal government, through the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and incollaboration with Aboriginal peoples, post-secondary
institutions and educators, and the National Centre for
Truth and Reconciliation and its partner institutions, toestablish a national research program with multi-year
funding to advance understanding of reconciliation.

Youth Programs
66. We call upon the federal government to establish multiyear funding for community-based youth organizations
to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish

i. Determine the level of compliance with the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples and the United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher
Principles, as related to Aboriginal peoples’
inalienable right to know the truth about what
happened and why, with regard to human rights
violations committed against them in the residential
schools.
ii. Produce a report with recommendations for full
implementation of these international mechanisms
as a reconciliation framework for Canadian archives.

Missing Children and Burial Information
71. We call upon all chief coroners and provincial vitala national network to share information and best

statistics agencies that have not provided to the Truth

practices.

and Reconciliation Commission of Canada theirMuseums and Archives
67. We call upon the federal government to provide funding
to the Canadian Museums Association to undertake, incollaboration with Aboriginal peoples, a national review
of museum policies and best practices to determine thelevel of compliance with the United Nations Declarationon the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to makerecommendations.
68. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration
with Aboriginal peoples, and the Canadian Museums
Association to mark the 150th anniversary of Canadian
Confederation in 2017 by establishing a dedicatednational funding program for commemoration projects
on the theme of reconciliation.
69. We call upon Library and Archives Canada to:i. Fully adopt and implement the United Nations

records on the deaths of Aboriginal children in thecare of residential school authorities to make these
documents available to the National Centre for Truth
and Reconciliation.
72. We call upon the federal government to allocate
sufficient resources to the National Centre for Truth
and Reconciliation to allow it to develop and maintainthe National Residential School Student Death
Register established by the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada.
73. We call upon the federal government to work withchurches, Aboriginal communities, and former
residential school students to establish and maintainan online registry of residential school cemeteries,
including, where possible, plot maps showing thelocation of deceased residential school children.
74. We call upon the federal government to work with the

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples andchurches and Aboriginal community leaders to informthe United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher Principles, as

the families of children who died at residential schools

related to Aboriginal peoples’ inalienable right toof the child’s burial location, and to respond to families’

know the truth about what happened and why, withwishes for appropriate commemoration ceremonies

regard to human rights violations committed against

and markers, and reburial in home communities wherethem in the residential schools.

requested.

ii. Ensure that its record holdings related to residential
schools are accessible to the public.
iii. Commit more resources to its public educationmaterials and programming on residential schools.

75. We call upon the federal government to work with
provincial, territorial, and municipal governments,
churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential
school students, and current landowners to develop
and implement strategies and procedures for the

70. We call upon the federal government to provide funding

ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance,

to the Canadian Association of Archivists to undertake,commemoration, and protection of residential school

in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, a national

cemeteries or other sites at which residential school

review of archival policies and best practices to:children were buried. This is to include the provision ofCalls to Action| 9
appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative
markers to honour the deceased children.
76. We call upon the parties engaged in the work of
documenting, maintaining, commemorating, andprotecting residential school cemeteries to adopt
strategies in accordance with the following principles:i. The Aboriginal community most affected shall leadthe development of such strategies.

iii. Developing and implementing a national heritage
plan and strategy for commemorating residential
school sites, the history and legacy of residential
schools, and the contributions of Aboriginal peoples
to Canada’s history.
80. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration
with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory
holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation tohonour Survivors, their families, and communities, andii. Information shall be sought from residential school

ensure that public commemoration of the history andSurvivors and other Knowledge Keepers in thelegacy of residential schools remains a vital component

development of such strategies.

of the reconciliation process.

iii. Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before

81. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration

any potentially invasive technical inspection andwith Survivors and their organizations, and other parties

investigation of a cemetery site.

to the Settlement Agreement, to commission and install

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
77. We call upon provincial, territorial, municipal, andcommunity archives to work collaboratively with the
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to identify
and collect copies of all records relevant to the history
and legacy of the residential school system, and toprovide these to the National Centre for Truth andReconciliation.
78. We call upon the Government of Canada to commit
to making a funding contribution of $10 million overseven years to the National Centre for Truth andReconciliation, plus an additional amount to assist
communities to research and produce histories of
their own residential school experience and theirinvolvement in truth, healing, and reconciliation.

Commemoration
79. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration
with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts
community, to develop a reconciliation framework for
Canadian heritage and commemoration. This would
include, but not be limited to:i. Amending the Historic Sites and Monuments Act toinclude First Nations, Inuit, and Métis representationon the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of
Canada and its Secretariat.
ii. Revising the policies, criteria, and practices of the
National Program of Historical Commemoration to
integrate Indigenous history, heritage values, andmemory practices into Canada’s national heritageand history.

a publicly accessible, highly visible, Residential Schools
National Monument in the city of Ottawa to honour
Survivors and all the children who were lost to theirfamilies and communities.
82. We call upon provincial and territorial governments, incollaboration with Survivors and their organizations,and other parties to the Settlement Agreement, tocommission and install a publicly accessible, highly
visible, Residential Schools Monument in each capital
city to honour Survivors and all the children who werelost to their families and communities.
83. We call upon the Canada Council for the Arts toestablish, as a funding priority, a strategy for Indigenous
and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative
projects and produce works that contribute to thereconciliation process.

Media and Reconciliation
84. We call upon the federal government to restore andincrease funding to the CBC/Radio-Canada, to enable
Canada’s national public broadcaster to support
reconciliation, and be properly reflective of the diverse
cultures, languages, and perspectives of Aboriginal
peoples, including, but not limited to:i. Increasing Aboriginal programming, including
Aboriginal-language speakers.
ii. Increasing equitable access for Aboriginal peoples
to jobs, leadership positions, and professional
development opportunities within the organization.
iii. Continuing to provide dedicated news coverage andonline public information resources on issues ofconcern to Aboriginal peoples and all Canadians,10 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
including the history and legacy of residential

cultures and traditional sporting activities ofschools and the reconciliation process.

Aboriginal peoples.

85. We call upon the Aboriginal Peoples Television
Network, as an independent non-profit broadcaster with
programming by, for, and about Aboriginal peoples, tosupport reconciliation, including but not limited to:i. Continuing to provide leadership in programmingand organizational culture that reflects the diverse
cultures, languages, and perspectives of Aboriginal
peoples.
ii. Continuing to develop media initiatives that informand educate the Canadian public, and connect
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
86. We call upon Canadian journalism programs andii. An elite athlete development program for Aboriginal
athletes.
iii. Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officialsthat are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples.
iv. Anti-racism awareness and training programs.
91. We call upon the officials and host countries ofinternational sporting events such as the Olympics,
Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure thatIndigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected,
and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all
aspects of planning and participating in such events.

media schools to require education for all students on

Business and Reconciliation

the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history

92. We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to

and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations

adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties

Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to

and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–

apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate

Crown relations.

policy and core operational activities involving

Sports and Reconciliation
87. We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration
with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and otherrelevant organizations, to provide public education thattells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.
88. We call upon all levels of government to take action toensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development andgrowth, and continued support for the North American
Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games
and for provincial and territorial team preparation andtravel.
89. We call upon the federal government to amend the
Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation
by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as
a fundamental element of health and well-being, reducebarriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit ofexcellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadiansport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.
90. We call upon the federal government to ensure thatnational sports policies, programs, and initiatives are

Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources. This
would include, but not be limited to, the following:i. Commit to meaningful consultation, building
respectful relationships, and obtaining the free,prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples
before proceeding with economic development
projects.
ii. Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable
access to jobs, training, and education opportunities
in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginalcommunities gain long-term sustainable benefits
from economic development projects.
iii. Provide education for management and staff on thehistory of Aboriginal peoples, including the history
and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, andAboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills
based training in intercultural competency, conflict
resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.

inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not

Newcomers to Canada

limited to, establishing:

93. We call upon the federal government, in collaborationi. In collaboration with provincial and territorial
governments, stable funding for, and access to,community sports programs that reflect the diverse

with the national Aboriginal organizations, to revise
the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its
citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history ofthe diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including

Calls to Action| 11
information about the Treaties and the history ofresidential schools.
94. We call upon the Government of Canada to replace the
Oath of Citizenship with the following:
I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true
allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queenof Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I
will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including
Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill myduties as a Canadian citizen.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
1500–360 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 3Z3
Telephone: (204) 984-5885
Toll Free: 1-888-872-5554 (1-888-TRC-5554)
Fax: (204) 984-5915
E-mail: info@trc.ca
Website: www.trc.ca