Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume One: Summary: Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future

by Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

This is the Final Report of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its six-year investigation of the residential school system for Aboriginal youth and the legacy of these schools. This report, the summary volume, includes the history of residential schools, the legacy of that school system, and the full text of the Commission's 94 recommendations for action to address that legacy. This report lays bare a part of Canada's history that until recently was little-known to most non-Aboriginal Canadians. The Commission discusses the logic of the colonization of Canada's territories, and why and how policy and practice developed to end the existence of distinct societies of Aboriginal peoples. Using brief excerpts from the powerful testimony heard from Survivors, this report documents the residential school system which forced children into institutions where they were forbidden to speak their language, required to discard their clothing in favour of institutional wear, given inadequate food, housed in inferior and fire-prone buildings, required to work when they should have been studying, and subjected to emotional, psychological and often physical abuse. In this setting, cruel punishments were all too common, as was sexual abuse. More than 30,000 Survivors have been compensated financially by the Government of Canada for their experiences in residential schools, but the legacy of this experience is ongoing today. This report explains the links to high rates of Aboriginal children being taken from their families, abuse of drugs and alcohol, and high rates of suicide. The report documents the drastic decline in the presence of Aboriginal languages, even as Survivors and others work to maintain their distinctive cultures, traditions, and governance. The report offers 94 calls to action on the part of governments, churches, public institutions and non-Aboriginal Canadians as a path to meaningful reconciliation of Canada today with Aboriginal citizens. Even though the historical experience of residential schools constituted an act of cultural genocide by Canadian government authorities, the United Nation's declaration of the rights of aboriginal peoples and the specific recommendations of the Commission offer a path to move from apology for these events to true reconciliation that can be embraced by all Canadians.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, History, Canada, Social Issues, Politics, Social Justice

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2015

Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an important and eye-opening text for settler Canadians. I'm a part of the school generation that did not cover the Sixties Scoop or treaty obligations in any depth. I am stunned by my own ignorance about my country's history and grateful for the avenues to future learning and action that this report has opened for me.

All Canadians should read it and consider how they can contribute to reconciliation.

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tragic, terrible practice of incarcerating indigenous children is described poignantly in this report. I thought I knew about residential schools, but this was an eye-opener. I was particularly struck by the fact that these kids were taken away under the guise of educating them, and then were so poorly educated that after years of schooling many of them could barely read or write. I can't even begin to describe the horrors of those schools -- even the children who did not experience direct physical or sexual abuse were damaged by witnessing it, or living in isolated, horrendous conditions.

There were a few tiny glimmers of light in this report. Some schools were markedly better than others, some Survivors said they were treated well, and some staff members were kind, well-meaning people who tried to work within the system to improve the lives of their young students. However, they were in a distinct minority.

The report issues Calls to Action which were made with the best intentions and it remains to be seen whether governments will respond. What is clear is that each of us Canadians must make a personal commitment to accept that the problems experienced by indigenous people today can be alleviated, if not solved, by showing them a great deal more sympathy, understanding, and respect than they have received in the past. I think respect is the operative word. Racism has no place in our country.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really a book I can write a review of. Except to say it is essential reading for all Canadians.

[Brianna Petersheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of residential schools in Canada, this is the book for you.

This is one of the most helpful resources I’ve found for my research project on residential schools.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for all Canadians.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Canadian should read this.

[Amy Rhoda Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the TRC report because I felt like I ought to. I believe Reconciliation is the other Big Project that faces Canada over the next 150 years (alongside climate change) and that it behooves me, and all other Canadians, to learn about the challenge and to figure out ways to participate in Reconciliation in our personal and work lives.

Having said that, I wasn't looking forward to reading it; it's a government publication, after all. I thought it would be dry, tedious, and depressing, but I was pleasantly surprised: it was a pretty easy read. The prose was approachable and the writers didn't linger but kept on moving through the many facets of this complicated topic. Parts of the book were sad, of course — this is a sad situation — but the writers didn't shame or lay guilt trips on anyone, they just explained (as well as possible) what happened. (I guess Lynne Beyak didn't read this book, either, because there are several paragraphs about the good people within the residential school system.)

The book ends with the TRC's Calls to Action, a to-do list for the government on how to fix this collosal screwup. Each Call to Action is explained and expanded, and it's very useful and clear. This is the part of the book to read if you want to see how you can participate in Reconciliation, and also to consult if you want to write some angry letters and hold your representatives' feet to the fire.

I think the biggest piece of the puzzle that I got from this book was that residential schools were not modelled off British middle- and upper-class boarding schools (which cause their own kind of trouble) but rather off reformatories and industrial schools designed for lower-class children. I don't know a lot about that system, apart from what I learned from Oliver Twist.

Finally, to learn more about how sending children away from their families can devastate their ability to parent their own children, check out The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook by Bruce Perry and Maia Szalawitz.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was determined to read this as part of my reconciliation journey, and I’m glad I did. What struck me the most is how clear, realistic, and necessary the Commission’s Calls to Action are. There are no requests for special treatment here - just that Indigenous peoples have the same opportunities and resources as every other Canadian, righting the wrongs that have been done to them. Completely reasonable and achievable. But, according to the bctreaty.ca website:

“As of June 30th, 2021, 14 Calls to Action have been completed, 23 are in progress with projects underway, 37 are in progress with projects proposed, and 20 have yet to be started.”

We need to do better.

I believe every Canadian should read this at some point in their lives. For any of you who are intimidated by the length, know that the bibliography is huge. I calculated that there’s only about 366 pages of reading material, so that’s just over 12 pages a day if you wanted to take a month to read it. If you skip the Appendices, it’s only 317 pages total. (Although I would definitely read through the apologies - some of them are much better than others - one in particular did not take much ownership in their apology, in my opinion.)

There are pictures and accounts from Survivors, and although parts of this were definitely dry, overall, it was an informative and necessary read. I used the TRC Reading Challenge website to track my progress, which I recommend. You’ll be surprised with how quickly you can read this. Finishing this book does not mean we’ve achieved total reconciliation, but it is definitely an important step. Highly recommend!

[Brandon Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is absolutely an essential read for every Canadian. A 5-star review for a government report is a rare thing indeed. The missing star here is simply because the publishing idea here doesn’t feel fully fleshed out - there are photos and maps in the introduction of the book, but the last two hundred pages are solid text, which blogs down what is otherwise an essential (and compelling) read.

[Princessdarcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza!
This book is not the official report - it's basically a book report done on the final report. With the fact that it's done book report style, it is very approachable (I mean as approachable as it can be given the subject matter) and written in a very easy and elementary tone.

I don't want to say a cheesy thing like 'this should be required reading for every Canadian' but also, this book should be required reading for every Canadian, this book should be taught in schools in every grade because if we bring up yet another and another generation of people not knowing the vivid details of what happened, it's destined to be repeated.

[Nick Carraway LLC]

1) "For over a century, the central goals of Canada's Aboriginal policy were to eliminate Aboriginal governments; ignore Aboriginal rights; terminate the Treaties; and, through a process of assimilation, cause Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada. The establishment and operation of residential schools were a central element of this policy, which can best be described as 'cultural genocide.'
Physical genocide is the mass killing of the members of a targeted group, and biological genocide is the destruction of the group's reproductive capacity. Cultural genocide is the destruction of those structures and practices that allow the group to continue as a group. States that engage in cultural genocide set out to destroy the political and social institutions of the targeted group. Land is seized, and populations are forcibly transferred and their movement is restricted. Languages are banned. Spiritual leaders are persecuted, spiritual practices are forbidden, and objects of spiritual value are confiscated and destroyed. And, most significantly to the issue at hand, families are disrupted to prevent the transmission of cultural values and identity from one generation to the next. In its dealing with Aboriginal people, Canada did all these things."

2) [Survivor, Ina Seitcher] "'I went to Christie residential school. This morning I heard a priest talking about his Christie residential school. I want to tell him [about] my Christie residential school. I went there for ten months. Ten months that impacted my life for fifty years.'"

3) [Survivor, Gilles Petiquay] "'I remember that the first number that I had at the residential school was 95. I had that number—95—for a year. The second number was number 4. I had it for a longer period of time. The third number was 56. I also kept it for a long time. We walked with the numbers on us.'"

4) "Indian Affairs officials believed that because the department had spent money educating students, it had gained the right to determine whom they married. Government officials feared that if students married someone who had not also been educated at a residential school, they would revert to traditional 'uncivilized' ways. The control of marriage was part of the ongoing policy of forced assimilation. In 1890, Indian Commissioner Hayter Reed criticized Qu'Appelle principal Joseph Hugonnard for allowing female students from the Qu'Appelle school to marry boys who had not gone to school, without first getting Indian Affairs' approval. Reed argued, 'The contention that the parents have the sole right to decide such matters cannot for one moment be admitted.'"

5) "Simon Baker's brother Jim died from spinal meningitis at the Lytton, British Columbia, school. 'I used to hear him crying at night. I asked the principal to take him to the hospital. He didn't. After about two weeks, my brother was in so much pain, he was going out of his mind. I pleaded with the principal for days to take him to a doctor.'
Ray Silver said that he always blamed the Alberni school for the death of his brother Dalton. 'He was a little guy, laying in the bed in the infirmary, dying, and I didn't know 'til he died. You know that's, that was the end of my education.' The death of a child often prompted parents to withdraw the rest of their children from a school. One former student said her father came to the school when her sister became ill at the Anglican school at Aklavik, Northwest Territories. 'He came upstairs and there we were. He cried over us. He took me home. He put her in a hospital, and she died.'
The high deaths rates in the schools were, in part, a reflection of the high death rates among the Aboriginal community in general. Indian Affairs officials often tried to portray these rates as simply the price that Aboriginal people had to pay as part of the process of becoming civilized. In reality, these rates were the price they paid for being colonized."

6) "The general Indian Affairs policy was to hold the schools responsible for burial expenses when a student died at school. The school generally determined the location and nature of that burial. Parental requests to have children's bodies returned home for burial were generally refused as being too costly. In her memoirs, Eleanor Brass recalled how the body of one boy, who hung himself at the File Hills school in the early twentieth century, was buried on the Peepeekisis Reserve, even though his parents lived on the Carlyle Reserve. As late as 1958, Indian Affairs refused to return the body of a boy who had died at a hospital in Edmonton to his northern home community in the Yukon.
The reluctance to pay the cost of sending the bodies of children from residential schools home for burial ceremonies continued into the 1960s. Initially, for example, Indian Affairs was initially unwilling to pay to send the body of twelve-year-old Charlie Wenjack back to his parents' home community in Ogoki, Ontario, in 1966. When Charles Hunter drowned in 1974 while attending the Fort Albany school, it was decided, without consultation with his parents, to bury him in Moosonee rather than send him home to Peawanuck near Hudson Bay. It was not until 2011, after significant public efforts made on his behalf by his sister Joyce, who had never got to meet her older brother, that Charles Hunter's body was exhumed and returned to Peawanuck for a community burial. The costs were covered by funds that the Toronto Star raised from its readership."

7) "The legacy of the schools remains. One can see the impact of a system that disrupted families in the high number of Aboriginal children who have been removed from their families by child-welfare agencies. An educational system that degraded Aboriginal culture and subjected students to humiliating discipline must bear a portion of responsibility for the current gap between the educational success of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. The health of generations of Aboriginal children was undermined by inadequate diets, poor sanitation, overcrowded conditions, and a failure to address the tuberculosis crisis that was ravaging the country's Aboriginal community. There should be little wonder that Aboriginal health status remains far below that of the general population. The over-incarceration and over-victimization of Aboriginal people also have links to a system that subjected Aboriginal children to punitive discipline and exposed them to physical and sexual abuse.
The history of residential schools presented in this report commenced by placing the schools in the broader history of the global European colonization of Indigenous peoples and their lands. Residential schooling was only a part of the colonization of Aboriginal people. The policy of colonization suppressed Aboriginal culture and languages, disrupted Aboriginal government, destroyed Aboriginal economies, and confined Aboriginal people to marginal and often unproductive land. When that policy resulted in hunger, disease, and poverty, the federal government failed to meet its obligations to Aboriginal people. That policy was dedicated to eliminating Aboriginal peoples as distinct political and cultural entities and must be described for what it was: a policy of cultural genocide."

8) "The Commission is convinced that genuine reconciliation will not be possible until the broad legacy of the schools is both understood and addressed. Governments in Canada spend billions of dollars each year in responding to the symptoms of the intergenerational trauma of residential schools. Much of this money is spent on crisis interventions related to child welfare, family violence, ill health, and crime. Despite genuine reform efforts, the dramatic overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in foster care, and among the sick, the injured, and the imprisoned, continues to grow. Only a real commitment to reconciliation will reverse the trend and lay the foundation for a truly just and equitable nation."

9) "Aboriginal peoples' right to self-determination must be integrated into Canada's constitutional and legal framework and civic institutions, in a manner consistent with the principles, norms, and standards of the [UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]. Aboriginal peoples in Canada have Aboriginal and Treaty rights. They have the right to access and revitalize their own laws and governance systems within their own communities and in their dealings with governments. They have a right to protect and revitalize their cultures, languages, and ways of life. They have the right to reparations for historical harms."

10) [Honourary Witness, Wab Kinew] "'We were abused. Our languages were assaulted. Our families were harmed, in some cases, irreparably. But we are still here. We are still here.'"

[Kyla Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

An uplifting and empowering document that all Canadians must read and act on.

In June I pledged to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report at trcreadingchallenge.com, and I encourage you to do the same.

I imagine that like others who pledged to read it, I was concerned it would be a difficult and despondent read. I was expecting a dry government document on a terribly sad subject.

For starters, it is not a dry document. It is written in a straightforward, easy to read style, interspersed with excerpts of survivor's statements from the TRC's information gathering events, and the 94 calls to action made by the commission based on their findings.

While it is indeed very sad, it is also quite uplifting. For all the wrongs that were done, and continue to be done the commission has presented quite clear, and very realistic Calls to Action for moving forward.

As far back as the 1880s inspectors were sending reports to the Canadian government criticizing the conditions at the schools and making recommendations for improvement that were ignored. Reading about this makes one feel very helpless and sad, as what can you do about something that happened 100 years ago.
However, as the report continues and you realize the government is still ignoring such recommendations, (often by passing the buck to some other department) you realize that this is not history, this is current events, and you are no longer helpless!

There have never been so many avenues to connect with the powers that be. You can reach out to friends, school boards, institutions, town councils, community groups etc.

We have the Trudeaumetre to track the government's action on their election promises.

I've been pestering my MP about making a move starting with the first call to action, (which is about Child Welfare) and now it is on the table.

This document offers a lot of hope for the future, but we need more people to read it and act.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Canadian citizen (of European descent) living in BC, as both a Treaty person and an occupier, I believe Canada's very legitimacy as a nation depends heavily on how well we engage with the responsibilities this report asks us to fulfill. It is a powerful account of our shared history, and a road map for the future which I hope we will all follow.

[Jocelyn Beatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Canadians should have to sit for a bit in the heaviness and shame of our collective past and, at the same time, be inspired by the tireless work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the brave souls who spoke out against the injustices done to them. This should be required reading across the country, as we all play a role in bearing witness to this part of history.

[Nathan Maharaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly readable and endlessly informative. In the final analysis, we are all treaty people.

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Canada has a long history of colonialism in relation to Aboriginal peoples. That history and its policies of cultural genocide and assimilation have left deep scars on the lives of many Aboriginal people, on Aboriginal communities, as well as on Canadian society, and have deeply damaged the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. It took a long time for that damage to have been done and for the relationship we see to have been created, and it will take us a long time to fix it. But the process has already begun. … No Canadian can take pride in this country’s treatment of Aboriginal peoples, and, for that reason, all Canadians have a critical role to play in advancing reconciliation in ways that honour and revitalize the nation-to-nation Treaty relationship" (p.183).

"Reconciliation includes anyone with an open heart and an open mind, who is willing to look to the future in a new way. Let us find a way to belong to this time and place together. Our future, and the well-being of all our children, rests with the kind of relationships we build today" (p.315) [Chief Dr. Robert Joseph]

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introductory book to the history of residential schools and possible paths to reconciliation within our country. It should be recognized that this is a summary providing an overview of the many facets involved in this complex topic. While printed in a somewhat textbook format, the choice to focus on one topic, such as health, at a time, proceeding in a chronological manner within that topic, while intertwining quotes from residential school survivors and staff, makes it a more manageable read. When writing about such an emotional subject of non-fiction it could become very overwhelming, and while it still does so, the format helps with the process of taking in the overview of facts and the first hand accounts of those impacted by the residential school system in Canada. An important read to open up an important dialogue.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the government implements the Calls to Action, this document can be a catalyst for overdue reparation and change. So far, I have not seen movement from the government.
Given how many people shared their stories, stories of pain of a level I cannot begin to comprehend, I hope the government, churches, and other parties implement the Calls with genuine and fully funded response. As a settler on this land, I will lobby the government to do so.
There is much I can do as a settler; I will listen and support the FNMI people who are leading actions.

[James Angus · Rating 5 out of 5]

required reading for Canadians

This book will disabuse anyone of the idea that Canadians are inherently kind and considerate. Granted that religion manifested its usual cruelty and self-righteousness, but Canadians elected the governments who implemented the appalling policies that led to the residential schools debacle and invited the religious orders to participate. We all bear responsibility.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Canadians should read this book. I thought I knew all about residential schools, but I learned a lot. I was expecting a dull heavy read (after all, it is a government report), but I was surprised by its readability and straight forward style. The historical part is very interesting. I'm glad my book club decided to read it, but now I am ready for a light summer read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary reading for all treaty people - and we are all treaty people.

Quotes from interviews with survivors are used to great effect to illustrate salient points. The history overview is excellent, and while dealing with an awful and unimaginable reality, I was surprised that I didn't feel this needed a trigger warning.

[Ryan O'sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me over two months to read - not because it was poorly or densely written, it wasn't, it flowed really well actually, but because it was exhausting. My kobo average reading session was 12 minutes for this, usually I read around 20-25 per session, to give an idea.

What an important document that everyone should read. It was time well spent.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a long, hard read, but definitely worth it. I learned a lot I didn’t know about the history of the residential schools, as well as all of the recommendations from the committee, some of which I believe will be difficult to achieve. This should be required reading for everyone in Canada (for sure the history part) but sadly it will only be read by a small proportion.

[Trisha Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly important read for all Canadians, anyone living in Canada, and anyone who is interested in Canadian culture. This book is extremely well written and approachable, speaking unpleasant truths about Canada's history, but providing recommendations on how to move forward.

[Donald Leitch]

This book/report should be read by every Canadian. After my reading, I have a much better understanding of the impact that the residential school system had on indigenous people along with the steps that I can take to be an “ally” with the calls to action.

[Josiah Coolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

so incredibly struck by the strength and resiliency of indigenous survivors and communities across canada. leaving this book feeling angry, sad... but also hopeful?

also, this was surprisingly easy to read! definitely recommend to everyone living on the lands now called Canada !!

[Liam]

Not going to give this a star rating or review other than saying I think this information, in some form, should be required reading for all Canadians. Including as part of school curriculum, citizenship tests and workplace training.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important Book

This was an extremely important book for Canadians, and I highly recommend reading it.

I have read the report before, but to have it all in one volume was extremely helpful.

Definitely check it out.

4.8/5

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in Canada should read this book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading