Canadian history is characterized by several legacies that influenced the lives of citizens in the country. The system of the Indian Residential School (IRS) stands out as one of the most disgraceful and detrimental legacies in the history of Canada (McKee & Forsyth, 2019). It was characterized by government-financed and church-run institutions that mistreated the indigenous children by subjecting them to negligence, exploitation, and hazardous living environments. All this was in the view of assimilating and conforming them to white European religion and way of life or culture, which the colonists regarded as the traditional Canadian culture (Florence, 2021). Fundamentally, it stretched for over a century and was characterized by cultural killing. On the other hand, it was the strategic approach used by the European colonists in eliminating Indigenous people, whom they regarded to be too distinct to live in their community (“What are the Truth,” n.d.). It had detrimental physical and emotional impacts on the indigenous people. After several years, the IRS system stopped; however, the indigenous people never forgot the pain they were subjected to and resorted to seeking compensation for what was done for them in the past (McKee & Forsyth, 2019). They engaged in several indigenous rights movements to demand justice from Canada through intense lobbying, lawsuits, and protests (“What are the Truth,” n.d.). The most identifiable achievement made by the movements in Canadian history was evident in the class-action settlement that focused on compelling the church organizations, the Canadian government, and other individuals who took part in promoting the horrors to apologize to the indigenous people (“What are the Truth,” n.d.). The settlement created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2008, a government-certified organization to address the issues and mistreatments confronted by the indigenous people and spearhead reconciliation between the indigenous people and those mistreated (“What are the Truth,” n.d.). The TRC carried out its responsibilities and came up with 94 recommendations to address the abuses confronted by the indigenous people (TRC, 2015).
The 48th recommendation of the TRC called for church and faith organizations involved in the settlement treaty and all other relevant religious associations that advocated for social justice to implement the UN directive on the native people’s rights. While this recommendation was among the vital approaches aimed at reconciling the indigenous groups and bodies that mistreated them, more information must be provided on how it promoted reconciliation. Therefore, this research intends to assess how the 48th recommendation of the TRC promoted reconciliation. The TRC calls to action that required the settlement treaty groups to implement the UN directive on the indigenous people’s rights promoted successful reconciliation between the indigenous people and the parties that mistreated them; therefore, this paper will assess this call to action to establish its contribution in having a good relationship between the native people and bodies that mistreated them with the focus on how it eliminated the suffering of the native people in the education, religious, and social justice sectors.
The TRC clarion calls for parties in the settlement treaty to adopt the UN pronouncement on indigenous people’s rights. It promoted successful reconciliation between the native people and religious parties as it advocated for respecting the Indigenous people’s right to spiritual issues. The rights included practicing, developing, and teaching their spiritual ceremonies, customs and traditions (Chan et al., 2019). One of the key elements of UNDRIP is the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ right to practice, develop, and teach their spiritual traditions, ceremonies, and customs. By promoting the adoption of UNDRIP, the TRC advocated for respecting and protecting Indigenous peoples’ spiritual practices and traditions. The TRC’s call to action for Settlement Treaty Groups to adopt UNDRIP can be seen as a critical step towards reconciling the relationship between Indigenous peoples and religious parties. It promotes recognizing and protecting Indigenous peoples’ right to practice and teach their spiritual traditions (Blackstock, 2016). By advocating for the respect of Indigenous peoples’ spiritual practices and traditions, the TRC’s call to action can help to address the legacy of residential schools and other forms of colonization that sought to suppress and erase Indigenous cultures and identities (LaRocque, 2018). Recognizing and respecting Indigenous spiritual practices and traditions are crucial in reconciliation. Residential schools and other forms of colonization sought to destroy Indigenous cultures and traditions, including their spiritual practices. By acknowledging and promoting the importance of these practices, the TRC’s call to action was an important step toward healing and reconciliation. The TRC’s call to action for Settlement Treaty Groups to adopt UNDRIP can help to promote a more just and equitable relationship between Indigenous peoples and religious parties by ensuring that Indigenous people’s human rights are recognized and protected (Moore et al., 2019). By recognizing and respecting Indigenous peoples’ spiritual practices and traditions, the TRC’s call to action can help to promote a more inclusive and diverse society where Indigenous peoples can fully participate and contribute to Canadian society (Lavallée, 2018). In addition to promoting respect for Indigenous spiritual practices and traditions, adopting UNDRIP by Settlement Treaty Groups can build relationships of trust, respect, and partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. This can help to address the ongoing impacts of colonization and promote reconciliation by promoting meaningful dialogue and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
The TRC appeal to action that needed the groups of settlement treaty to implement the UN orders on the indigenous people’s rights promoted reconciliation by identifying the need for the elimination of the policies that subjected the indigenous people to adverse and detrimental learning environments and incorporation of the UN directives on human rights (“Call to action #48,” n.d.). One of the key ways this call to action promotes reconciliation is by identifying the need to eliminate policies and practices that have had adverse impacts on Indigenous peoples’ learning environments. For example, the TRC’s call to action #48 specifically calls for incorporating UNDRIP’s principles on education, including the right of Indigenous peoples to establish and control their educational systems and the recognition of the importance of Indigenous knowledge and languages. By advocating for these principles, the TRC highlighted the importance of respecting and promoting Indigenous peoples’ cultural and linguistic diversity in educational settings. This is important because residential schools and other policies and practices sought to assimilate Indigenous peoples into mainstream Canadian society by forcibly removing them from their families and communities and subjecting them to Eurocentric and Christian-based education. Therefore, the TRC’s call to action on education is an important step towards reconciliation by recognizing the importance of respecting and promoting Indigenous peoples’ cultural and linguistic diversity in educational settings. In addition, the incorporation of UNDRIP’s education principles can help promote reconciliation by providing a basis for building relationships of trust, respect, and partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in educational settings. This can address the ongoing impacts of colonization and promote reconciliation by promoting meaningful dialogue and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
The 48th TRC call to action promoted reconciliation by establishing frameworks and measures to eliminate the injustices that indigenous people confronted and enable them to get justice from the social justice systems (Moore et al., 2019). One way in which this call to action promotes reconciliation is by recognizing and addressing the injustices that Indigenous people have historically faced within social justice systems. For example, the TRC’s call to action #48 specifically calls for developing culturally appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms accessible to Indigenous people. This is important because Indigenous people have often faced significant barriers in accessing the social justice system, including language barriers, cultural barriers, and systemic biases. By developing culturally appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms, the TRC’s call to action promotes recognizing and respecting Indigenous legal traditions. It provides an avenue for Indigenous people to receive justice in ways that respect their cultural traditions and values. Another way in which the TRC’s call to action #48 promotes reconciliation is by calling for the establishment of a national public inquiry into the disproportionate victimization of Indigenous women and girls. This inquiry is an important step towards promoting reconciliation by addressing the ongoing impacts of colonization and gender-based violence against Indigenous women and girls. By addressing these issues, the inquiry can help to promote justice and healing for Indigenous women and girls and their communities. In addition, the TRC’s call to action #48 also calls for developing a strategy to eliminate the over-representation of Indigenous people in custody. This is an important step towards promoting reconciliation by recognizing and addressing the systemic biases and injustices contributing to the over-representation of Indigenous people in custody. The TRC’s call to action promotes justice and healing for Indigenous people and their communities by developing a strategy to address this issue. Overall, the TRC’s call to action #48 is an important step towards promoting reconciliation in Canada by recognizing and addressing the injustices that Indigenous people have historically faced within social justice systems and promoting actions that can address these impacts and promote justice and healing for Indigenous people.
In conclusion, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) calls to action have played a crucial role in promoting reconciliation in Canada by recognizing and addressing the ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous people. The TRC’s calls to action have focused on various issues, including education, language and culture, health, justice, and more. Through these calls to action, the TRC has emphasized the need for Indigenous people to have greater control over their own lives and for their voices to be heard in decision-making processes that affect them. The TRC has also called for greater recognition of Indigenous legal traditions and cultures and for incorporating these traditions and cultures into Canadian law and society. Moreover, the TRC’s calls to action have emphasized the need for non-Indigenous Canadians to recognize and understand colonization’s ongoing impacts and take responsibility for promoting reconciliation. This includes acknowledging the injustices that Indigenous people have faced and taking concrete steps to address these injustices. Overall, the TRC’s calls to action have been an important step towards promoting reconciliation in Canada by recognizing and addressing the injustices that Indigenous people have historically faced and promoting actions that can address these impacts and promote justice and healing for Indigenous people and their communities. However, much work must be done to fully address the ongoing impacts of colonization and promote true reconciliation in Canada. It will be important for all Canadians to continue to listen to Indigenous voices, learn about Indigenous histories and cultures, and take action to support Indigenous communities and promote reconciliation. By doing so, we can work towards a future where Indigenous people can live with dignity, respect, and self-determination, and all Canadians can live in a just and inclusive society.
References
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