Speaking truth and reconciliation to power this election

By Jeremy Vander Hoek

Principle nine of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report What We Have Learned states: “Reconciliation requires political will, joint leadership, trust building, accountability, and transparency, as well as a substantial investment of resources.”¹ On the eve of an election, voters have a unique chance to urge Canada to live into this principle. We have the power and the opportunity to build political will and advocate for the investment of resources referred to.

Consider the Indigenous Peoples whose territory you live on. Look at their websites, social media, and other networks. What are their policy priorities? How might you bring these to the candidates running in your riding? At the end of this article, I’ll pose some general questions you can ask.

Truth and reconciliation Calls to Action

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’ Final Report and 94 Calls to Action. This anniversary is a unique opportunity to highlight these Calls. When was the last time you looked at them? Now is a great time to become familiar (or familiar again). Choose one or two to investigate. They’re a powerful lens through which to reflect on the platforms of the parties seeking election.

If you’re not sure where to start, look at Calls 2, 9, 19, and 30. These are sometimes dubbed the four “legacy Calls.” They advocate bold action to address the legacy of colonial inequality in child welfare, education, health, and justice.²

Calls to Justice

It’s also been six years since the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which includes Calls to Justice. The Assembly of First Nations’ recent Progress Report urges action on these Calls.³ We can be part of the push for real change here, especially during an election.

Read through the Calls to Justice and consider how you might ask your candidates about them. Call 4.5 is for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (GLBI) to address the links between poverty and violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. You can read more about GLBI on our website and in Sandra’s article.

Missing children and unmarked graves

In 2021 media coverage led many Canadians to learn for the first time about unmarked graves at former residential schools—an issue that Indigenous Peoples have known about for decades. A report was released in the fall, aimed at ensuring the respectful and culturally appropriate treatment of unmarked graves and burial sites of children at former residential schools. Rather than make recommendations, the report identified legal, moral, and ethical obligations, many directed at the federal government.

 

“This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’ Final Report and 94 Calls to Action… When was the last time you looked at them?”

 

CFSC has joined with partners from other churches to explore how we can advocate on these obligations. We’re focused on confronting residential school denial. Denial isn’t always rejecting the existence of residential schools. It can also include denying the violence and harm that occurred within the system. How would the candidates in your riding confront this denial?

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Did you know that Canada has an Action Plan on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? The plan was released in 2023 as part of Canada’s UN Declaration legislation. Alongside Indigenous partners, an action item we advocate on is the creation of an Indigenous Peoples’ human rights monitoring mechanism.

Monitoring mechanisms hold governments to account. Their role is to monitor the activities of the government to ensure that Canada is upholding human rights. In this case, the mechanism could hear cases of Indigenous rights violations and work to stop, remedy, and prevent them. As stated in the action item, this mechanism must be properly funded and led by Indigenous Peoples. How does the UN Declaration fit in your candidates’ party platform as an essential framework for reconciliation in Canada?

Other questions to ask candidates

1. Given the lack of progress on implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, if elected, how will you and your government prioritize fulfilling the Calls, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples?
2. If elected, through what concrete means would you and your government recommit to the full implementation of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls to Justice? Which Calls will you prioritize?
3. If elected, how would you and your government take meaningful steps to act on the obligations set out in the report of the Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites Associated with Indian Residential Schools? How would you ensure these obligations are enacted in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous law, and international human rights and criminal law?
4. If elected, what steps would you and your government take to establish and fund an independent Indigenous rights monitoring, oversight, recourse, or remedy mechanism in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples and in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act action plan?

Jeremy Vander Hoek is CFSC’s Indigenous Rights Program Coordinator.