Truth and Reconciliation – Barbara Greenberg

In June of 2008 the federal government of Canada formally established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a part of the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The TRC is meant to be a body independent of the government that will allow former students of the schools to share their experiences, while at the same time educating the Canadian public about the history of these schools in Canada. The TRC claims to have the following mandate: (1) create a historical record of the policies and operations of residential schools; (2) make a public report that includes recommendations to the government in regards to the residential schools and the their legacy; (3) establish a research centre as a permanent resource; (4) hold 7 national events to promote awareness and education about the schools and their impact; (5) support events for individual First Nations communities; (6) honour and pay tribute to former students in a permanent way. The TRC, after two years of “growing pains” and false starts, seems prepared to finally take off and begin its work. Commission Chair Justice Murray Sinclair, Commissioner Marie Wilson, and Commissioner Chief Wilton Littlechild are set to begin holding the commission’s first national event June 15-19 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The TRC and those supporting it appear hopeful, even after the change of Commissioners through out the last 2 years, and the stalled beginning.

Much debate surrounds the TRC, critics want to know how useful a “truth commission” will be, and how effective this “reconciliation” process will be for First Nations and other Canadians. First, let me say that no Truth Commission can ever be problem free- the South African TRC has generally been hailed as a success, but it too was not without problems. The questions I ask about Canada’s TRC revolve around who will participate in the creation of the historical record, will the “other side” come forward to share their experiences and speak of their participation in the schools as teachers, principals, etc? How will Canadians today react to these discussions? Will they, or do they, even care about this issue? What impact will this have on the government? What kind of reconciliation might this lead to between First Nations and the federal government?

I don’t want to be cynical because I believe reconciliation has its merits, but when Prime Minister Harper issues an apology in the House of Commons to much applause and then a year later stands before the G20 and proclaims that Canada has “no history of colonialism”, I am left wondering a) how effective an apology can be and b) if a government that lives in this delusional state will see any of the recommendations issued by this commission as worthwhile and implement them. The cynic within me also wonders why such recommendations are even necessary to be made when in 1996 the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples issued many recommendations, the majority of which have been ignored by all governments up to the present administration. It seems as if this event is set up to be very one-sided in the offering of information by First Nations while the governmental bodies will be the ones assessing the “value” of what the TRC produces. How can this lead to reconciliation when the real power for change lies in the hands of the government? All the TRC can do is “recommend” suggestions for the future, there is no guarantee that these will reach some kind of fruition, and, as we have already seen with Harper’s administration, if he doesn’t like the path issues lead down he will simply shut down the conversation and, possibly, the entire government. Reconciliation is a two way street, and nothing be reconciled if one side is not willing to make compromises and participate in the change. As it stands, with the track record of Harper’s administration, I will not be surprised if all we are left with at the end of this endeavour is a pile of recordings of the horrific tales told by very brave First Nations who shared their experiences that collect dust on the shelves of libraries across Canada. But I am not a psychic. If I could, I would encourage the commission to charge ahead with its mandate and take advantage of this opportunity, while at the same time finding some way to persuade the government to not only listen, but to open up to suggestions to help First Nations communities move towards a brighter future.