Story shared by Hayley Roulstone

September is approaching quickly and marks a significant time of reflection and action across Turtle Island as Truth and Reconciliation come to the forefront. Orange t-shirts and “Every Child Matters” signs begin to appear, serving as powerful reminders of the stories of Residential School survivors, including the story behind Orange Shirt Day told by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad. While these symbols are important, they also prompt a deeper question: Beyond sharing posts on social media, how can we truly implement ReconciliACTION? 

ReconciliACTION, as defined by the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, is meaningful action that moves Reconciliation forward by bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together to create awareness, share and learn. At Rise, we believe that Reconciliation begins with a grounding in Indigenous-led publications that outline the calls to action, articles and calls to justice necessary for advancing Truth and Reconciliation across Turtle Island; foundations that guide us toward right relation. Central to this is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Act, which received Royal Assent and came into force on June 21, 2021. In 2024, the UNDRIP Action Plan 2023-2028 was released to guide the federal government, its departments, and agencies in aligning bills and regulations with the UN Declaration. However, it’s important to recognize that foundations for Reconciliation were laid much earlier, with The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP), established in 1991. RCAP set the stage for Truth and Reconciliation by urging the government to investigate Residential Schools and support Indigenous participation in governance.  This led to the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which produced the 94 Calls to Action in 2015; next year we will recognize that a decade has passed since the Final Report and Calls to Action were published. 

The TRC carried out extensive research, including hearing from Residential Survivors, their families, members of their communities, former staff of residential schools and others, to inform the Calls to Action. The TRC Calls to Action were created as a permanent resource for all Canadians. Everyone is called upon, including: all levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous), the Parliament and prime minister of Canada in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, post-secondary institutions, those in the Canadian health-care system, medical and nursing schools, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, law schools, parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, church parties and all other faith groups in Canada, the Pope, the Council of Ministers of Education, Library and Archives Canada, chief coroners and provincial vital statistics agencies, those documenting and protecting residential school cemeteries, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Canadian journalism programs and media schools, international sporting event officials, the corporate sector and newcomers to Canada. 

Nine years after the release of these Calls to Action, we continue to be called upon to respond. Indigenous Watchdog provides live status updates on the TRC Calls to Action and reveal a mixed picture: 16% of the Calls have not been started, 20% are stalled, 49% are in progress and only 15% have been completed. This data raises important questions about the barriers that are impeding progress and keeping ReconciliACTION in motion. 

The journey toward Reconciliation in Canada is obstructed by a series of entrenched barriers that perpetuate Indigenous marginalization. Paternalistic attitudes among politicians and policymakers, rooted in colonial memory, continue to undermine Indigenous autonomy, preventing communities from leading with their own solutions. Economic Reconciliation is not about creating or sustaining dependency on corporations or government funding. Instead, it focuses on supporting Nations to build their internal capacity, enabling them to function sovereignly and independently provide for their own communities, as they see best. Structural anti-Indigenous discrimination remains pervasive, with Canada relying on legal myths to justify the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous lands, leading to chronic impoverishment. The concept of “the public interest” is often manipulated to prioritize the economic interests of non-Indigenous Canadians, further enabling the exploitation of Indigenous lands. Despite countless promises, insufficient resources and chronic funding inequities keep meaningful Reconciliation out of reach.  

So, what can corporate Canada do to answer Call to Action 92, which urges the corporate sector to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a framework for reconciliation? The answer lies in moving beyond symbolic gestures and committing to concrete actions that support Indigenous autonomy, respect Indigenous rights, and address the systemic barriers that hinder true Reconciliation. Call to Action 92 stresses the corporate sector to adopt the UNDRIP as a Reconciliation framework. By integrating the principles of UNDRIP into their operations, policies and strategies, corporate Canada can play a pivotal role in advancing the Calls to Action and making Reconciliation a reality, not just a promise. 

The image above captures The Honourable Mr. Justice Murray Sinclair at the unveiling of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, found on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website – learn more here

Resources: 

Indigenous Watchdog – Calls to Action 

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation – Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action 

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund – What is ReconciliACTION? 

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act – Action Plan 

Yellowhead Institute – Calls to Action Accountability: A 2023 Status Update on Reconciliation