TRC Report



The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report Calls to Action are heavy, often requiring some background reading to fully understand. The report refers to, and closely parallels the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which “emphasizes the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions and to pursue their development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations. It establishes an important standard for eliminating human rights violations against indigenous peoples worldwide and for combating discrimination and marginalization.” - link.


The statements in these reports are very broad and sweeping. As you read along you may wonder just how we can go about achieving some of these goals? Some are very easy, as we saw with the government’s announcement this past June to allow indigenous peoples to apply to reclaim their traditional names, taken away from them when they attended residential schools. Some are going to be very hard, such as the repudiation “of concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius.” And even here we see a glimmer of light as we learn of the cancellation of the Mckenzie housing development in Caledonia. This development was opposed by the 6 Nations land defenders' year long occupation.


Small steps and big steps - they can be done. So why did the Trudeau government spend $3.2 million fighting St. Annes residential school survivors in court? Why is Ottawa claiming it is not responsible for cultural damage caused by the Kamloops residential school? Why is the government poised to fight First Nations children asking for compensation because they were inappropriately taken away from their parents after 2006?


What Liberals say and what they do are not the same. Sign our petition asking them to stop fighting kids in court. Jagmeet “won't ever stop fighting alongside you.” In Ontario we ask that you sign this petition asking the Ontario government to adopt and uphold UNDRIP.

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