Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada facts for kids
| Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada | |
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 2, 2008 |
| Dissolved | December 18, 2015 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Type | Truth and reconciliation commission |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Canada |
| Headquarters | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Agency executive |
|
| Key document | |
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was a special group in Canada. It worked from 2008 to 2015. Its main job was to learn about and share the history of residential schools. These schools deeply affected Indigenous students and their families.
The TRC was set up as part of a big agreement called the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. This agreement aimed to help people who went to these schools. The commission gave survivors a chance to tell their stories. They shared their experiences in public and private meetings all over Canada. The TRC wanted all Canadians to understand what happened in these schools. Many Canadians did not know about this part of history.
In June 2015, the TRC shared its main findings. It also gave 94 "calls to action." These were steps for Canadians and Indigenous Peoples to work towards healing and better relationships. The commission finished its work in December 2015. It published a large final report. This report said that the school system caused "cultural genocide." This means it tried to destroy Indigenous cultures. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation opened in November 2015. It is at the University of Manitoba. This centre keeps all the research, documents, and stories the TRC collected.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
What is the TRC and why was it created?
The TRC started in June 2008. It was a key part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA). This agreement provided $60 million over five years for the TRC's work. The commission's work was extended by one year to June 2015. This gave them more time to finish their important tasks.
The TRC was an independent group. Its goal was to record the history and effects of the residential school system. About 70% of these schools were run by the Catholic Church. The government gave money to these schools. A big part of the TRC's job was to create a full historical record. This record showed how the residential school system worked and what it left behind.
The TRC also had to save all the records they found. These records were about the schools and the commission's own work. They would be kept for the future at a national research centre. The TRC spent six years traveling across Canada. They listened to more than 6,500 people. These included residential school survivors and others affected by the system.
The TRC had several important duties. These included hosting seven national events for healing. They also collected many historical documents from churches and governments. They gathered statements from survivors. The TRC also managed a fund to support community events for healing. The commission wanted to show the true history of residential schools.
In 2008, Indigenous leaders and church officials held a tour. It was called "Remembering the Children." This tour helped promote the TRC's work. On June 11, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized. He said sorry for the government's role in running the residential schools. Later, in 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also apologized.
The commission's work was supposed to end in 2014. But it was extended to 2015. This happened because many school records were given to the commission in 2014. These documents came from Library and Archives Canada. The TRC needed more time to review them. The commission held its final event in Ottawa from May 31 to June 3, 2015.
Sharing stories: Testimonies
The TRC had to collect stories from residential school survivors. These stories were called "testimonies." They were needed to create a historical record. This record would show the lasting effects of the schools. It was also important to teach the public "the truth of what happened" in Canada. The records of these stories and documents are now open to everyone. They are kept at the National Research Centre.
Between 2008 and 2014, the TRC collected about 7,000 stories. Most were from people who went to the schools after the 1940s. These stories were shared in public and private settings. This included community meetings and sharing circles. Public sessions often had large audiences. Hundreds of people and reporters came to listen. Stories were often recorded and put online. Survivors talked about losing their language and culture. They also shared experiences of mistreatment and not having enough food.
What does "reconciliation" mean?
The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) got its name from similar groups. These groups worked in Chile in 1990 and South Africa in 1996. In this case, "reconciliation" means making a relationship good again. It suggests bringing back harmony.
However, some people criticized the use of "reconciliation." They said it implies that Indigenous Peoples and settlers once had a good relationship. But many argue that this good relationship never truly existed in Canada. Critics felt that using this word might hide the true history. It could make it seem like Indigenous self-rule before contact never happened.
Who were the commissioners?
Justice Harry LaForme was first chosen to lead the commission. He resigned on October 20, 2008. He said the other two commissioners, Claudette Dumont-Smith and Jane Brewin Morley, did not follow his lead. Laforme wanted to focus on both truth and healing. He felt the others only wanted to focus on finding the truth. The other commissioners denied this. They also resigned in January 2009.
On June 10, 2009, Murray Sinclair became the new chairperson of the TRC. Marie Wilson and Willie Littlechild were appointed as the new commissioners. Marie Wilson was a senior leader in the Northwest Territories. Wilton Littlechild was a former Member of Parliament.
Finding missing children
The TRC helped teach people about residential schools. It also led to new groups like the Missing Children Project. Many children died at residential schools from diseases or not enough food. After 1917, the government stopped recording these deaths. The Missing Children Project works to find out who these children were. They do this by careful research. They also look at the hard conditions students faced.
What are the "calls to action"?
In June 2015, the TRC released a summary report. It included "94 Calls to Action." These were steps to fix the problems from residential schools. They also aimed to help Canada heal and move forward. The calls to action were put into two main groups: "Legacy" and "Reconciliation."
Fixing past harms: Legacy
The "Legacy" calls to action focused on repairing the damage from the residential schools. Here are some of the main areas:
- Child welfare: Residential schools often acted like foster homes. Many children were orphans or from broken homes. Today, many Indigenous children are still in foster care. The TRC called for changes to this system.
- Education: Students in residential schools often got a poor education. This was due to little money and few trained teachers. The TRC called for better funding for Indigenous education. They also wanted to close the gap in school success between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
- Language and Culture: Children in residential schools were not allowed to speak their languages. They could not practice their cultures. Many Indigenous languages are now in danger. The TRC asked for more money to teach children Indigenous languages. They also wanted universities to offer degrees in these languages.
- Health: Healthcare in residential schools was often very bad. Many children faced mistreatment. The TRC said that this poor care still affects Indigenous people's health today. They called for better health outcomes for Indigenous people.
- Justice: It was hard to get justice for abuse in residential schools. Police investigations often did not lead to charges. The TRC called for changes to legal rules. They wanted to make it easier to seek justice. They also asked for justice systems that fit Indigenous cultures.
Building new relationships: Reconciliation
The "Reconciliation" calls to action aimed to create better relationships. These relationships were between governments and Indigenous nations. The goal was to build a healed relationship. These actions covered many areas, including:
- Canadian governments and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Working with churches to apologize and educate their members
- Better education for everyone about reconciliation
- Programs for youth
- Support for museums and archives
- Finding information about missing children and burial sites
- Creating a National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Honoring the past through commemoration
- The role of media in reconciliation
- Sports and reconciliation
- Business and reconciliation
- Helping newcomers to Canada understand Indigenous history
How are the calls to action being met?
Different groups have looked at how well the calls to action are being followed. Two main groups are the Yellowhead Institute and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Yellowhead Institute's view
A historian named Ian Mosby checked the progress in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, he found only 5 calls were finished. In 2017, only 7 were done. By the end of 2020, his review showed only 8 calls had been fully completed.
CBC's view
In 2018, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) launched "Beyond 94." This website tracks the status of each call to action. As of March 2018, 10 were done. 15 were in progress. 25 had plans proposed. 44 had not yet started. By July 29, 2019, the site showed 10 completed. 21 were in progress with work happening. 37 were in progress with plans. 26 had not yet started.
As of June 22, 2021, the CBC marked 13 calls to action as "complete":
- Language and Culture (#13): Recognizing Indigenous language rights.
- Language and Culture (#15): Appointing an Indigenous Languages Commissioner.
- Justice (#39): Collecting data on crimes against Indigenous people.
- Justice (#41): Starting an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
- Reconciliation (#43): Adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- Reconciliation (#59): Churches educating their members about apologies.
- Reconciliation (#80): Making Orange Shirt Day (September 30) a national holiday.
- Reconciliation (#83): Canada Council for the Arts supporting Indigenous and non-Indigenous art projects.
- Reconciliation (#84): Increasing funding for the CBC/Radio-Canada to support reconciliation.
- Reconciliation (#85): Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) supporting reconciliation.
- Reconciliation (#87): Telling stories of Indigenous athletes in history.
- Reconciliation (#88): Continuing to support the North American Indigenous Games.
- Reconciliation (#90): Making sure national sports policies include Indigenous Peoples.
The final report
In December 2015, the TRC released its final report. This report was based on research and stories from survivors. The report summarized the TRC's work. It included sections like "Honouring the Truth, Reconciling the Future." It also had "The Survivors Speak" and "The History."
The report said that about 150,000 children went to residential schools. This was over 120 years. It also estimated that 3,200 children died at these schools.
The TRC concluded that taking children away from their culture was "cultural genocide." This meant trying to make them act like the main Canadian culture. The report's words allowed for the idea that physical harm also happened. However, the TRC could not officially say that physical genocide happened. This would have meant a big legal responsibility for the government. So, the discussion about whether Canada also committed physical genocide is still open.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) was created. It is at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. It acts as an archive. It holds all the research, documents, and stories collected by the TRC. The NCTR opened in November 2015. It has over five million documents about residential schools in Canada.
What were the criticisms?
Some people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, had criticisms about the TRC. These criticisms were about its goals, methods, and findings.
Professor Glen Coulthard said the TRC focused too much on residential schools. He felt it made reconciliation seem like fixing a "sad chapter" in history. He argued this did not recognize that colonialism is still happening today. For him, this focus explained why Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized in 2008. But then, a year later, Harper said there was no history of colonialism in Canada. Professors Brian Rice and Anna Snyder agreed. They said schools were only "one part of a larger plan to absorb or assimilate Aboriginal people."
Many writers noted that the TRC talked about colonialism as a past event. They felt it did not stress that unfair relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are still ongoing. This focus on the past was also seen in the TRC's "Principles of Reconciliation." This implied that colonialism is not part of current government policy. Because of this, the TRC focused mostly on emotional healing through sharing stories. But it did not bring enough big changes to government systems.
Another criticism was that reconciliation was set up by the government. Critics felt it did not allow for a true movement from the people. Since the government started the process, some argued it was still controlling how Indigenous people heal. They felt it put a time limit on healing. This made it less effective. This approach, where Indigenous people engage when it suits non-Indigenous Canadians, was seen by some as "another form of settler colonialism." They said that Canadian reconciliation focused only on past wrongs. It ignored the problems of today.
Unlike the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, the Canadian TRC was not a government-led project. It was part of a legal agreement. This agreement was between survivors, Indigenous groups, churches, and the government. Because of this, the TRC could not force people to testify. It could not offer forgiveness for honest stories about abuse. Also, the commission could not name or accuse individuals. So, the Canadian commission mostly heard from former students.
Questions about the findings
The same week the Final Report came out, two retired professors questioned it. Hymie Rubenstein and Rodney A. Clifton wrote an article. They said the report told a "skewed and partial story." They agreed residential schools harmed many students. But they said the commission did not gather enough strong evidence. They felt it did not compare findings or look at causes and effects.
Rubenstein and Clifton said the report did not compare death rates of Indigenous children in residential schools to other children. They also noted that residential schools were often far from hospitals. This made getting medical care harder. They called it "bad research."
Note: Hymie Rubenstein has had controversial views on Indigenous history. He has questioned the truth about residential schools and treaties.
Patrice Dutil, a professor, also criticized the report. He said it was "yet another very expensive prise de conscience." He felt it was meant to keep attention on a painful part of Canadian history. He said the report was not truly an academic document. He felt it did not put things in perspective. It did not compare Canada's experience to other countries.
In March 2017, Lynn Beyak, a senator, criticized the TRC report. She said it missed the "abundance of good" in the schools. Her comments were widely criticized. The Anglican Church said there was "nothing good about children going missing." They also said "nothing good about burying children in unmarked graves." Beyak was removed from the Senate committee because her comments did not match her party's views.
A writer named Helen Andrews also criticized the process. She said the TRC invited stories from survivors but did not question them. She felt this led to a document that was like oral history. But it was treated as unquestionable fact by the government. She argued that the way stories were gathered encouraged "atrocity tales." Witnesses spoke in public. Financial payments were higher for those who claimed abuse. This could mean a big difference in money received.
What is the TRC's legacy?
In August 2017, Crystal Gail Fraser and Sara Komarnisky wrote about reconciliation. They asked Canadians to do "150 Acts of Reconciliation." They wanted people to think about the TRC's calls to action.
In August 2018, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society released the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. This encyclopedia has information about Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures. It also covers topics like residential schools and racism. It was made to help meet the Calls to Action. One goal was to create "culturally appropriate curricula" for Indigenous students.
Other countries have also started truth and reconciliation commissions. Norway, Sweden, and Finland have created commissions. They are addressing the history of colonialism against the Saami people. These commissions are based on Canada's TRC. Norway started its commission in 2018. Sweden and Finland followed in 2021.
See also
- Cultural genocide
- First Nations in Canada
- Institutional racism
- Racism in North America
