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Let's Google the word reconciliation.
Here's what comes up.
To reconcile or restore friendly relations.
Kind of like when you get into an argument
with a friend and they hurt you, but then you make up.
In recent years, reconciliation has taken on
a new and important role in Canada.
Maybe you've heard of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
or the new federal holiday known as
the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
But what does it all actually mean,
and why do we need reconciliation?
Part of reconciliation is recognizing that
non-Indigenous people
have harmed Indigenous people in Canada for centuries
and treated them differently than white people.
For some people, reconciliation is the opportunity to heal
a broken relationship and to establish a Canada
that honours Indigenous people and their contributions.
So where does reconciliation stand now?
The current process of reconciliation
is often tied to two different groups.
Number one: government.
Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology
to former students of Indian residential schools.
The treatment of children in Indian residential schools
is a sad chapter in our history.
That was former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He made a historic apology in the House of Commons in 2008.
So that part of the process of
reconciliation is about the government
acknowledging something wrong
and taking the steps to make it right.
But many Indigenous people and their allies
say an apology without action isn't enough.
Like if you say sorry to a friend for hurting them
without changing your behaviour, is it really an apology?
Number two: individuals.
The second part of reconciliation
is more about individual action.
Attempts at reconciliation are happening all around us.
Individuals and groups are trying to highlight
the past and present unfair treatment
of Indigenous people in Canada.
Think of it as learning from the past and trying to do better.
For example, reading about residential schools.
So when did Canada's reconciliation
with Indigenous peoples begin?
The process of reconciliation
was made official in Canada in 2008.
That was when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
was launched as a way to record the effects
of residential schools on Indigenous peoples.
More than six years of work was done
by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
also known as the TRC.
The Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
Senator Murray Sinclair, said...
Reconciliation is about atonement.
It's about making amends. It's about apology.
It's about recognizing responsibility.
Isabel:
listening to more than 6,500 witnesses and their families
about the negative impacts of residential schools
and other mistreatments.
The result of all that work
was a report that listed 94 recommendations, or
calls to action, to help repair the relationship between
Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities
and prevent future and ongoing harm.
The calls to action are separated into sections
like language, health, sport, education, and media.
Some examples of a call to action would be:
Number seven: [Isabel reads]
And number 20.
[Isabel reads]
Although the federal government has acknowledged the results
of the Truth and Reconciliation Report,
many of these calls to action have not been addressed.
What do we do now?
Reconciliation is a long and hard process of making
wrongs right.
Although not everyone will agree
on the exact way of making things better,
here are some ways you can make a difference.
Number one: paying attention in history class
when your teacher is talking about Canada's treatment
of Indigenous peoples.
Number two: remembering and honouring
residential school survivors and their families
on Orange Shirt Day and beyond.
Number three: reading about Indigenous issues.
Number four: reading all 94 calls to action
in the Truth and Reconciliation Report.
Number five: speaking up when you see Indigenous peoples
being treated unfairly or you hear racist remarks.
This has been
For
[speaks alternate language] Bye!
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