In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada concluded its work documenting the history and impacts of the residential school system, releasing 94 Calls to Action addressed to all levels of government, religious institutions, educational bodies, and Canadian society as a whole. These Calls to Action provide a roadmap for reconciliation—yet years later, progress remains incomplete and uneven. Understanding what was asked, what has been done, and what remains undone is essential for any meaningful engagement with reconciliation in Canada.
The Commission and Its Work
The TRC was established as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. Over six years, the Commission gathered testimony from more than 7,000 survivors of residential schools, documenting experiences of family separation, cultural destruction, neglect, abuse, and death that characterized the system operating from the 1870s through the 1990s.
The Commission's final report established that the residential school system constituted cultural genocide—the intentional destruction of Indigenous peoples as distinct peoples. This conclusion was not hyperbole but a finding based on extensive evidence of deliberate policy to eliminate Indigenous cultures, languages, and identities. The Calls to Action emerged from this understanding of historical wrong and ongoing harm.
Categories of Calls to Action
Child Welfare (Calls 1-5)
Indigenous children remain dramatically overrepresented in child welfare systems—a reality some describe as a continuation of the residential school policy of family separation by other means. The Calls to Action in this area address reducing the number of Indigenous children in care, ensuring adequate funding for child welfare services, implementing Jordan's Principle (ensuring First Nations children receive services without jurisdictional delays), and keeping children connected to their cultures and communities.
Education (Calls 6-12)
Education-related Calls address both education for Indigenous students and education about Indigenous peoples for all Canadians. They call for equitable funding for Indigenous schools, culturally appropriate curricula, Indigenous language education, and measures to close educational achievement gaps. They also call for developing age-appropriate curricula about residential schools and treaties for all students.
Language and Culture (Calls 13-17)
The residential school system deliberately attacked Indigenous languages and cultures. Calls in this area address recognition of Indigenous language rights, funding for language preservation and revitalization, support for Indigenous cultural programs, and official apologies from religious organizations that operated schools.
Health (Calls 18-24)
Health-related Calls address healthcare gaps affecting Indigenous peoples, including calls to recognize and address the distinct health needs of Indigenous peoples, increase the number of Indigenous health professionals, provide cultural competency training for healthcare workers, and address the legacy of residential school trauma on current health outcomes.
Justice (Calls 25-42)
Indigenous peoples are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system. Calls in this area address reducing incarceration rates, eliminating overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in custody, alternatives to imprisonment, addressing victimization of Indigenous peoples, and reforming justice practices to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and approaches.
Reconciliation (Calls 43-94)
The remaining Calls address broader reconciliation measures, including developing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation, creating a National Council for Reconciliation, implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, professional development in various sectors, commemoration, media, sports, business, and newcomer education about Indigenous history and rights.
Progress and Gaps
What Has Been Done
Since 2015, there has been notable progress on some Calls. The federal government has passed legislation implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been established. Some professional bodies have incorporated Indigenous education into their requirements. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was completed, responding to Call 41. Numerous educational initiatives have been launched.
What Remains Incomplete
Progress has been slower or absent in other areas. Child welfare reforms have advanced but the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care persists. Funding gaps in Indigenous education remain. Language revitalization remains inadequately resourced. Justice reforms have not significantly reduced Indigenous overrepresentation. Many Calls requiring provincial action have received uneven responses across jurisdictions.
Tracking by the Yellowhead Institute and other organizations suggests that after nearly a decade, fewer than half of the Calls to Action have been fully completed, with many still showing minimal progress. The National Council for Reconciliation, only recently established, has yet to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Beyond Checkboxes
Simply completing specific actions does not necessarily mean achieving reconciliation. Some observers note that governments may pursue the easiest Calls while avoiding those requiring fundamental change. Symbolic gestures may substitute for substantive reform. The Calls to Action are means toward reconciliation, not reconciliation itself—and reconciliation requires transforming relationships, not just completing tasks.
Obstacles and Challenges
Political Will
Reconciliation competes with other political priorities. Governments may commit rhetorically while failing to allocate necessary resources or legislative time. Changes in government can slow momentum. Without sustained political will, progress stalls.
Jurisdictional Complexity
The Calls to Action address multiple levels of government and various institutions, many beyond federal control. Provincial governments, municipalities, professional bodies, religious organizations, and private entities each have roles. Coordinating action across this landscape is inherently difficult.
Resources
Many Calls require significant investment—in child welfare services, education, health care, language programs, and infrastructure. Underfunding Indigenous services has been the historical norm, and reversing this requires sustained commitment that may conflict with other fiscal pressures.
Institutional Resistance
Some Calls challenge institutional practices and cultures resistant to change. Justice systems, educational institutions, child welfare agencies, and other bodies may resist reforms that require fundamental rethinking of their approaches.
Beyond Government
While many Calls to Action address government, others speak to businesses, educational institutions, professional bodies, religious organizations, and Canadian society broadly. Non-governmental action is both possible and necessary. Organizations can incorporate Indigenous perspectives and relationships into their work without waiting for government direction.
Individual Canadians can educate themselves about residential school history, engage with Indigenous-led organizations, support Indigenous businesses and artists, and advocate for implementation of the Calls. Reconciliation is not only a government project but a societal one.
Questions for Further Discussion
- How should progress on the Calls to Action be measured and monitored?
- Which Calls to Action should be prioritized, and how should priorities be determined?
- What would meaningful accountability for failure to implement Calls to Action look like?
- How can non-governmental actors contribute to implementation in their spheres of influence?
- What does genuine reconciliation require beyond completing specific action items?