The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada defines reconciliation as establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgment of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behavior.
Why is this important?
Many people believe that residential schools happened long ago, however; the last residential school closed in 1996. It is important that all Canadians understand the complex truth about the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools and the resilience that Indigenous Peoples have shown amidst the collective harms and atrocities that have been endured. Reconciliation goes beyond acknowledging residential schools and the harm they created. Reconciliation also means recognizing the structures in place that enabled residential schools to happen in the first place. It calls upon all Canadians to embrace this work and seek ways to establish and maintain relationships based on the foundations of respect and understanding so that we can rise above these outdated and oppressive ways of thinking.
Reconciliation Challenge
We're inviting all residents to join us in a 6 Week Reconciliation Challenge as we move towards The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2021.
Join the 6-Week Reconciliation Challenge
With ongoing confirmations of terrible wrongs etched into the Indigenous experience, many Canadians have asked how they can help advance reconciliation.
An important step is to actively participate in learning. As such, information and activities will be offered every week to create better awareness of local Indigenous culture and history, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, Principles of Reconciliation and The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. And, while reconciliation is not something that can be achieved in six weeks, every journey begins with the first few steps – please join us in this journey of learning.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be a part of reconciliation.
Sign the Reconciliation Pledge
Learn
Online Indigenous Learning Series
- Increase your awareness of Indigenous history and culture through our Indigenous Learning Series. The two interactive modules were developed by a local Indigenous company and feature a local Indigenous artist narrator.
- We Were Children is a film from Tim Wolochatiuk and the National Film Board of Canada that tells the story about the residential school experience.
- #IndigenousReads is an initiative from the Government of Canada that encourages reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by sharing Indigenous literature.
- Find out how the Government of Canada is acting on Truth and Reconciliation.
- Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Read
The 94 Calls Action, the 10 Principles of Reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), provide a roadmap to transform relationships. These documents and the other resources are available to you online and can be found here:
- 94 Calls to Action
- 10 Principles of Reconciliation
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
| Our 23 Identified Calls to Action |
Calls to Action identified by the RMWB internal steering committee5. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families. 7. We call upon the federal government to develop with Aboriginal groups a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. 8. We call upon the federal government to eliminate the discrepancy in federal education funding for First Nations children being educated on reserves and those First Nations children being educated off reserves. 11. We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education. 12. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families. 16. We call upon post-secondary institutions to create university and college degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages. 22. We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients. 31. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to provide sufficient and stable funding to implement and evaluate community sanctions that will provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying causes of offending. 40. We call on all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal people, to create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services with appropriate evaluation mechanisms. 57. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism. 75. We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children. 77. We call upon provincial, territorial, municipal, and community archives to work collaboratively with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to identify and collect copies of all records relevant to the history and legacy of the residential school system, and to provide these to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. 79. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration. This would include, but not be limited to:
88. We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel. Calls to Action identified within the TRC Calls to Action Report that call on all municipal levels of government43. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation. 47. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples and lands, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, and to reform those laws, government policies, and litigation strategies that continue to rely on such concepts.
Calls to Action identified within the TRC Calls to Action Report that call on all levels of government3. We call upon all levels of government to fully implement Jordan’s Principle. 17. We call upon all levels of government to enable residential school Survivors and their families to reclaim names changed by the residential school system by waiving administrative costs for a period of five years for the name-change process and the revision of official identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, status cards, and social insurance numbers. 23. We call upon all levels of government to: i. Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health-care field. ii. Ensure the retention of Aboriginal health-care providers in Aboriginal communities. iii. Provide cultural competency training for all health-care professionals. 53. We call upon the Parliament of Canada, in consultation and collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to enact legislation to establish a National Council for Reconciliation. The legislation would establish the council as an independent, national, oversight body with membership jointly appointed by the Government of Canada and national Aboriginal organizations, and consisting of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members. Its mandate would include, but not be limited to, the following: i. Monitor, evaluate, and report annually to Parliament and the people of Canada on the Government of Canada’s post-apology progress on reconciliation to ensure that government accountability for reconciling the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown is maintained in the coming years. ii. Monitor, evaluate, and report to Parliament and the people of Canada on reconciliation progress across all levels and sectors of Canadian society, including the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. iii. Develop and implement a multi-year National Action Plan for Reconciliation, which includes research and policy development, public education programs, and resources. iv. Promote public dialogue, public/private partnerships, and public initiatives for reconciliation. 55. We call upon all levels of government to provide annual reports or any current data requested by the National Council for Reconciliation so that it can report on the progress towards reconciliation. The reports or data would include, but not be limited to: i. The number of Aboriginal children—including Métis and Inuit children—in care, compared with non-Aboriginal children, the reasons for apprehension, and the total spending on preventive and care services by child-welfare agencies. ii. Comparative funding for the education of First Nations children on and off reserves. iii. The educational and income attainments of Aboriginal peoples in Canada compared with non-Aboriginal people. iv. Progress on closing the gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in a number of health indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services. v. Progress on eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in youth custody over the next decade. vi. Progress on reducing the rate of criminal victimization of Aboriginal people, including data related to homicide and family violence victimization and other crimes. vii. Progress on reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the justice and correctional systems. 64. We call upon all levels of government that provide public funds to denominational schools to require such schools to provide an education on comparative religious studies, which must include a segment on Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and practices developed in collaboration with Aboriginal Elders. 87. We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history. |
Volunteer and donate
Support non-profit groups and organizations such as the Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre. You can volunteer your time or donate to promote positive change.
Call for local Indigenous artist issued for Council Chambers artwork
To foster its ongoing commitment to reconciliation with First Nations and Métis communities, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is commissioning a local Indigenous artist, or artist team, to create an artwork for Council Chambers that will respectfully display the rich cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Treaty 8 Territory, the traditional lands of the Cree, Dene, and the unceded territory of the Métis. To learn more, visit our informational web page.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Timeline
In December 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published the Calls to Action report to foster healing with Indigenous communities in Canada. The report offers 94 recommendations to governments, educational institutions, religious organizations and other groups in Canada.
November 2016 |
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We sent letters of engagement to:
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December 2016 |
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We created the TRC Steering Committee made up of members from our departments to address the 94 Calls to Action. |
January 2017 |
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We held a session for the TRC Steering Committee on the historical context of TRC and identified the Calls to Action that we can act on. |
February 2017 |
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Council approved further engagement with Indigenous partners about TRC and the Calls to Action. |
June 2017 |
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The TRC Steering Committee identified 14 Calls to Action that the Municipality had the ability to implement and influence. We hosted our first Calls to Action Symposium on June 28, 2017 and addressed how we could implement the TRC's Calls to Action. Rural and urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents attended. There was also representation from Athabasca Tribal Council, Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre, Keyano College and local social profit organizations. |
January 2018 |
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We held a Council meeting in the community of Fort McKay. This was the first Council meeting held in a rural community in over 17 years. |
February 2018 |
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We released the 2018-2021 RMWB Strategic Plan. Rural and Indigenous communities. Indigenous partnerships were identified as a critical area of focus with four key strategic priorities:
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July 2018 |
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The TRC Steering Committee met for an update on initiatives. |
March 2019 |
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We added nine Calls to Action for a total of 23 Calls that we can help influence or implement. |
April to September 2019 |
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A TRC Report is in development. This report will detail the municipal response to truth and reconciliation. There are several phases in this process:
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October 23, 2019 |
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The TRC Sharing Circle at Shell Place included over 100 participants from the local Indigenous and non-Indigenous community that provided feedback and insight for next steps moving forward.
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Other initiatives
Watch for updates to this list over the coming weeks.
- RMWB 2018-2021 Strategic Plan Priorities
- Partnerships for Commemoration and Awareness
- The completion of two TRC eLearning modules that were developed with local Indigenous input.
- The launch of the quarterly newsletter titled "Reconciliation" - detailing the ongoing municipal response to Reconciliation in Wood Buffalo.
- The ongoing partnership with the Reconciliation Advisory Circle
TRC Newsletters
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo publishes Reconciliation, a truth and reconciliation newsletter. This newsletter was a commitment made at the Truth and Reconciliation Sharing Circle events in October 2019. The newsletters report on reconciliation efforts and advancement within the region and are published quarterly.