Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Moxy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Caption	Logo of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Formation	2008
Dissolved	2015
Purpose	To document the history and lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian residential school system
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Key people	Murray Sinclair (Chair), Marie Wilson, Wilton Littlechild

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was a landmark component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. Established in 2008, its primary mandate was to reveal the complex truth about the Canadian Indian residential school system and its profound, intergenerational impacts on Indigenous peoples. The commission concluded its work in 2015 with the publication of a multi-volume final report and 94 Calls to Action aimed at redressing this legacy and advancing reconciliation in Canada.

Background and establishment

The commission was created as a direct result of the negotiations leading to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement in 2007. This agreement itself followed decades of advocacy by survivors, First Nations leaders, and organizations like the Assembly of First Nations. It also came in the wake of significant legal actions, such as the case brought by Phil Fontaine, and the federal government's formal Statement of Apology delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008. The commission was officially established in June 2008 with the appointment of Justice Harry S. LaForme as its first chair, though his subsequent resignation led to a period of instability before the final commission, chaired by Justice Murray Sinclair, began its work in 2009.

Mandate and structure

The commission's core mandate, as outlined in the settlement agreement, was to document the truth of the residential school experience by creating a historical record and to promote public education and awareness. Its threefold mandate included learning the truth about what happened in the schools, acknowledging the experiences of survivors and their families, and laying the foundation for reconciliation. The commission was led by three Commissioners: Chair Murray Sinclair, an Anishinaabe judge from Manitoba; Marie Wilson, a journalist and senior executive; and Wilton Littlechild, a Cree lawyer, former MP, and residential school survivor. Its work was organized nationally, with a secretariat based in Winnipeg.

Work and findings

Between 2009 and 2015, the commission undertook an extensive process of statement gathering, hosting seven national events in cities like Winnipeg, Inuvik, and Vancouver, and many more community hearings. It collected over 6,750 statements from survivors and others affected by the schools. This work culminated in a multi-volume final report released in 2015, which concluded that the residential school system constituted a deliberate policy of cultural genocide against Indigenous peoples. The report detailed widespread physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and high mortality rates, linking the system's legacy to ongoing social crises in many communities. The commission also established the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba to serve as a permanent archive.

Calls to Action

A central and enduring component of the final report was the issuance of 94 Calls to Action. These are concrete recommendations directed at all levels of government, civil society, and the private sector to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance reconciliation. The calls are wide-ranging, covering areas such as child welfare, education, language and culture, health care, justice, and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Specific calls address matters like mandatory education on residential schools, the creation of monuments, and inquiries into missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Legacy and impact

The commission's work fundamentally altered the national conversation in Canada, forcing a widespread public reckoning with a previously suppressed history. Its findings have influenced government policy, educational curricula across provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, and institutional practices from museums to corporations. The Calls to Action have become a critical benchmark for measuring progress on reconciliation, cited by politicians, activists, and organizations including the CBC and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The establishment of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a federal statutory holiday is a direct response to Call to Action 80.

Criticisms and controversies

Despite its significant achievements, the commission faced several criticisms. Some survivors and advocates argued its mandate was too limited, as it could not compel testimony from churches like the United Church of Canada or the Roman Catholic Church, or name individual perpetrators. Others felt the process was underfunded and rushed, limiting its ability to hear from all survivors. The concept of "reconciliation" itself has been critiqued by some Indigenous scholars and activists, such as those associated with Idle No More, as being too vague or as potentially obscuring the need for concrete actions like land restitution and sovereignty. The slow and uneven implementation of the Calls to Action by governments, particularly the federal government under Justin Trudeau, remains a persistent source of controversy and disappointment.

Category:Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Category:2008 establishments in Canada Category:2015 disestablishments in Canada Category:Canadian commissions and inquiries Category:Indigenous rights in Canada