The First 42 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The First 42 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission By: Biola Agunbiade, Natalie Ashton, Clare Bekenn, Denise Bhargava, Darren Gresch & Julia Riddle; December 8, 2015 Faculté des sciences sociales | Faculty of Social Sciences uOttawa.ca uOttawa.ca uOttawa.ca

Introduction • Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) – Indian Residential School Settlement • Other commissions and inquiries – Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) – Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry (Manitoba, 2012) • Goal: Identify the initiatives related to the first 42 Calls to Action (CTA) of the TRC uOttawa.ca

3 Outline 1. Introduction a. Methodology 2. Areas of Study a. Child Welfare b. Language and Culture c. Education d. Health e. Justice 3. Summary uOttawa.ca

Methodology • Environmental scan of public sources – Government websites and reports – Class presentations – Non-governmental organizations’ websites and reports • Non-Exhaustive – ~ 200 hours of research • 148 Initiatives – 14 in Child Welfare – 39 in Education – 10 in Language and Culture – 25 in Health – 60 in Justice uOttawa.ca

Example # Recommendation Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Corresponding Relevant Organization Theme background information 12 We call upon the Aboriginal Early Native Education The Native Education College AECE Program Education http:// federal, provincial, Childhood College-BC trains Early Childhood Educators and care Child Welfare www.necvancouv territorial, and Education providers with a specialized Aboriginal cultural er.org/programs/ Aboriginal (AECE) Program perspective. Upon completion of 500 hours of aboriginal-early- governments to paid or volunteer work, they can apply to the childhood- develop culturally ECE Registry for certification. The certificate education/ appropriate early courses are also transferable to the post-basic childhood education ECE programs in Infant and Toddler Care and programs for Special Needs Education offered at many local Aboriginal families. colleges. First Nations University of This is a university accredited program of Early Education http://fnpp.org/ Partnership Victoria. British Childhood and Youth Care training that leads to a home.htm Programs Columbia Ministry Diploma from the School of Child and Youth Care of Education at the University of Victoria. It was originally developed in 1989 through a partnership between the University and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, and uses a Generative Curriculum Model, which helps to ensure the cultural representation of communities. To date, more than 78% of students have completed the program, and 65% of graduates have initiatied new programs for children and youth. uOttawa.ca

Child Welfare (CTA 1-5) • Overarching goal: – Reducing children in care • 14 Specific Initiatives # Recommendation Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Theme Org. 1.2 Providing adequate resources Kwen’an’late Hulitan KIP works to promote healing Child Welfare to enable Aboriginal l Intensive Family and for families to strengthen and/ communities and child-welfare Parenting Community or maintain their cultural organizations to keep Program Services in identities and provides Aboriginal families together (KIP) Victoria culturally appropriate holistic where it is safe to do so, and to supports to heal from the keep children in culturally intergenerational effects of appropriate environments, colonization and residential regardless of where they schools, while enhancing reside; parenting skills. uOttawa.ca

Education (CTA 6-12) • Overarching goal: – Eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians • 39 Initiatives # Recommend- Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Theme ation Org. 10.2 improving District Vancouver The Aboriginal Program and Services are Education education Aboriginal School delivered to enhance the student’s attainment Alternative Board educational experiences which align with the levels and Programs stated goal areas of the Aboriginal Education success rates Enhancement Agreement. Three District Aboriginal Alternative Programs provide enhanced support for students including counselling services, social workers, probation officers, and mental health workers. • Additional Example: – First Nations Partnership Program • Meadow Lake (University of Victoria) uOttawa.ca

Language & Culture (CTA 13-17) • Overarching goal: – Aboriginal language rights must be established and protected • 10 Initiatives # Recommend- Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Theme ation Org. 14 In June of 1984, the Legislative Assembly of We call upon Official NWT Language the NWT passed its first Official Languages the federal Languages Government and Culture Act. Modeled on the federal Act of the same government to Act-Northwest name, it had two essential purposes: the enact a Federal Territories Act guaranteed equal status for the use of Language Act French and English by members of the public using government programs and services; and the Act officially recognized the Aboriginal languages in use in the NWT. uOttawa.ca

Language & Culture • Example initiatives: – Aboriginal Language Initiative (Canadian Heritage) – Provincial & Territorial Language Acts • Northwest Territories • Nunavut • British Columbia – Maori Language Act (New Zealand) uOttawa.ca

Health (CTA 18-24) • 25 Initiatives • Overarching goal: – Need to close the health outcome gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians # Recommendation Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Theme Organization 22 We call upon those who British Federal Enable First Nations in BC to Health can effect change Columbia Government participate fully in the design and within the Tripartite (Health delivery of these services. Decision- Canadian health-care Framework Canada) making will be brought closer to home system to recognize the Agreement Government of through recognizing and involving value of Aboriginal on First British First Nations decision-making and healing practices and Nation Columbia service delivery processes, structures, use them in the Health (Ministry of and institutions at provincial, regional treatment of Aboriginal Governance Health) and local levels. In particular, the patients in collaboration First Nations Partners will nurture the partnerships with Aboriginal healers Health between First Nations in all regions and Elders where Authority and each provincial Regional Health requested by First Nations Authorities Aboriginal patients Health Council uOttawa.ca

Health • Example initiatives: – Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative (Health Canada) – Aboriginal Healing Foundation – Traditional Medicine Initiative (First Nations Health Authority) – Aboriginal Health & Wellness Strategy (Government of Ontario) uOttawa.ca

Justice (CTA 25-42) • 60 Initiatives • Overarching goal: – To eliminate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody # Recommendation Initiative Relevant Summary of Initiative Theme Organization 30 We call upon federal, R. Vs Supreme Court of (As) an Aboriginal person, there Justice provincial, and territorial Gladue Canada are special cultural considerations governments to commit Supreme Department of that the court must take into to eliminating the Court Justice account in assessing your case. overrepresentation of Decision This applies to all Aboriginal Aboriginal people in peoples of Canada, including custody over the next status and non-status Indian, Inuit, decade, and to issue and Métis and whether living on or detailed annual reports off reserve. that monitor and evaluate progress in doing so. uOttawa.ca

Justice • Example initiatives: – Youth Justice FASD Program (Asante Centre – Maple Ridge BC) – Community Safety Development Plans (Public Safety Canada) – Continuum of Care (Correctional Services of Canada) • 8 Healing Lodges uOttawa.ca

In summary • Many initiatives exist across the country • Address underlying causes • Uneven geographic distribution uOttawa.ca

Questions? uOttawa.ca