Indigenous

Nearly 10 years have passed since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its landmark report and Calls to Action, bringing awareness to the residential school system in Canada and advocating for long-lasting change to start a new path towards reconciliation. As the nation marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, questions remain about accountability, the implementation of its 94 calls to action and what is needed to meaningfully practice reconciliation. Indigenous studies and history professor Cody Groat spoke to Western News about the TRC’s legacy, what has been accomplished so far and gaps in action that remain.  

What was the TRC, and why was it created?

Cody Groat: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established because of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, a class action lawsuit between survivors, the federal government and four church entities. The Commission’s work began in 2008, focusing very specifically on the Indian residential school system. In 2015, a final report documented systemic abuses in the residential school system, their lasting impacts and recommended 94 calls to action.  

What impact has the TRC’s work had over the past decade?

CG: I would say the biggest shift has been growing knowledge of the Indian residential school system. Most people in this country now know what an Indian residential school was. The final report of the TRC referred to it as an act of cultural genocide. Since then, Pope Francis referred to it as an act of genocide engaged in by the Catholic Church and its entities. The House of Commons passed a unanimous consent motion which also recognized Canada’s involvement as genocidal.  

What progress have we made on the 94 calls to action and where are the gaps?

CG: The Calls to Action directed all three levels of government, schools and universities, the private sector and individuals to drive change. To date, many have not been fully implemented, even after 10 years. One of the most notable calls to action that has been addressed is Call to Action 15 regarding the appointment of a federal Indigenous Languages Commissioner. Ronald E. Ignace, a member of the Secwepemc Nation in Interior British Columbia, currently holds this role. Call to Action 80 has also been fulfilled with the establishment of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is now a federal statutory holiday. The Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous think tank and research institute, last published a progress report in 2023 and found 81 calls to action have still been left unfulfilled. In terms of major gaps, there have not been many structural changes made to the criminal justice system, such as acting upon Call to Action 26 to amend statues of limitations to ensure disclosures of historical abuse experienced by Indigenous peoples can be heard in court. This speaks to a larger remaining issue – very few people have been held criminally accountable for their actions in upholding the Indian residential school system.  

Why is the work of the TRC so specific?

CG: The TRC needs to be recognized within a very specific context. It does focus very specifically on the Indian residential school system because it was developed in response to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the class action lawsuit for the residential school abuses that took place. Regrettably, its focus was so narrow that it couldn’t really include conversations about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, or the Sixties Scoop or any of the associated state interactions with Indigenous peoples.  

How has the TRC impacted you personally?

CG: My grandparents attended or were impacted by the Indian residential school system, but awareness didn’t exist even within my own family. My late father didn’t know of the context of his parents’ interactions with the residential school system because it wasn’t part of that public dialogue. We are not unique. Many families and survivors didn’t engage in these conversations before that turning point of the TRC. So, when I look at my own understanding of the residential school system, I know it really did develop in the TRC and post-TRC era. That’s how I became aware, and that’s how I began to contextualize my own experiences and my family’s own experiences in the system. When I look at students now, undergraduates entering or currently in university have had knowledge of this their entire lives, which is really interesting. They’ve learned about it from almost kindergarten through to Grade 12. Their base knowledge is quite well established but there are problems with that as well because in many ways that’s all students know about Indigenous peoples, which is really narrow and trauma-centred.  

What is the role of the TRC going forward?

CG: In an increasingly polarized society, we’re seeing a deeper entrenchment of Indian residential school denialism, questioning whether the system was designed to eradicate culture or denying the significance of student deaths. That’s why it’s so important to keep the TRC’s narrative top of mind, even after a decade.