HAMILTON, Ontario, Feb. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The biggest disappointment of 2023 is the failure to implement Bill C-29 “The National Council for Reconciliation Act”, the legislation called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada as “an independent, national oversight body” to track and report on all aspects of reconciliation. This legislation would enable the National Council to, among other things, collect all the relevant data identified above from all government and other stakeholders across the country.
What Can We Conclude from the Above?
The most obvious conclusion is that there are far more problems than positive actions and commitments: almost 2.5 x as many. So what does that say about reconciliation? The main conclusion seems to be twofold: first, the focus for positive activity for the most part is too narrow and second, the actions are not directly addressing the more serious problems identified in each theme:
- Health, Justice and Education are foundational issues that impose structural, legislative and institutional barriers that continue to oppress, marginalize and disenfranchise Indigenous people. Child Welfare, Language and Culture are missing
- There is a significant gap in Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation that indicates governments are not doing what they say they are
- The biggest gap is in Treaties and Land Claims where a majority of governments continue to fight against Aboriginal Rights and Title and Duty to Consult/Free, Prior and Informed Consent
- The rise of Business and Reconciliation activities is testament to the shifting and rising dialogue around Economic Reconciliation
- Environment carries a double wallop with climate change and the destructive impacts on Indigenous territories from the resource extraction industry, especially oil and gas, mining and forestry with little to no compensation for the land expropriated or the damage inflicted
What does the above say about all the positive “Actions and Commitments” that are advancing Reconciliation?
- Housing is the only category where the positive actions outnumber the problems primarily due to the multiple government housing programs and investments across the country. Not surprising since housing is a major national problem for non-Indigenous Canadians as well
- Business and Reconciliation represents a noticeable shift in the reconciliation dialogue as more and more businesses and governments invest in economic reconciliation which is much easier than committing to UNDRIP as a reconciliation framework and also is good PR
- The gap in Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation indicates that governments are to some degree more focused on the macro level commitments vs the micro level actions that have more of a direct impact on policy and programs
- Treaties and Land Claims has the biggest gap. Comprehensive Claims and Treaty Land Entitlements that had the most activity are arguably more defined and easier to implement.
- Justice is the most problematic issue with the largest number of Calls to Action. Of the 23 Justice sub-themes, 16 only had one commitment from one jurisdiction
- Health saw numerous commitments to improving access to health including for mental health and addictions and continuing the fight to eliminate systemic racism and discrimination in healthcare
- Environment saw significant investments in Indigenous Conservation Areas that were well identified and mostly not contentious and Green Energy programs that score a lot of political points
- Governments talk about their commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and improving the lives of Indigenous people yet continue to use the courts to deny those same rights:
- Child Welfare: Québec, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories
- Justice: Indigenous Policing, Suing Land Protectors, Forced Sterilizations, Injunctions
- Treaties and Land Claims: Duty to Consult/Free Prior and Informed Consent: BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador
Given that we are approaching the ninth anniversary of the release of the TRC Summary Report in June with only 13 Calls to Action completed and 37% either Not Started or Stalled, the question has to be asked of all levels of government: When will you get serious about true reconciliation and do the real work needed to remove the barriers keeping Indigenous people impoverished and marginalized.
That would mean actually taking action. 150+ years of waiting is long enough. And we are not going anywhere.
To read the full report click on https://www.indigenouswatchdog.org/2024/02/13/what-is-the-truth-about-reconciliation-2023-year-end-review-indigenous-watchdog/
For more information contact:
Douglas Sinclair
Executive Director
Indigenous Watchdog
Email: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9661afe6-c5db-46ff-8369-7f5a12d17d3e
