Reconciliation will take substance, not symbolism: Senator Francis – SenCA+
September 27, 2024
When so little has changed in the lives of Indigenous peoples, it is hard to believe that Canada is truly on a path to reconciliation. The legacy of colonialism is not something we can leave behind, but an ongoing reality. It is alive in the structural and systemic inequalities that continue to oppress communities. A lack of access to safe, affordable and reliable water on reserves is one of many examples. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not fulfill his promise to lift all boil water advisories on reserves by 2021. There are currently 30 communities with long-term advisories. The fact that, in 2024, so many of our people are deprived of such basic human rights is cause for alarm.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its Final Report with 94 Calls to Action, which provides a roadmap to address the legacy of residential schools and advance reconciliation. This moment was meant to be a turning point. It gave us hope that Canada was ready to address past and ongoing harms.
But nearly a decade later, progress has been deeply disappointing — only roughly 14 of 94 Calls to Action have been fully implemented. The ones selected favour symbolism over substance. For example, in response to Call to Action 80, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in June 2021. As the sponsor of this government legislation in the Senate, I was emotional when it was quickly adopted after more than six months at a standstill in the House of Commons. However, it was bittersweet that progress only came due to the public outrage over the earlier announcement of potential unmarked burials at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
