Calling for reconciliation through education
Reconciliation is in the wind, a wind that is heralding change across the country. Over the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), we listened, we witnessed powerful truths, we shared emotions, and we were transformed. And now we must persist in our efforts to reconcile the harms committed against Indigenous peoples in Canada. All Canadians are entrusted to ensure that all 94 Calls to Action are met.
Currently, the KAIROS Winds of Change campaign focuses on TRC Call to Action 62.i, also known as Education for Reconciliation.
Education for Reconciliation: Call to Action 62
Since the release of the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action in 2015, KAIROS Canada has graded Canadian provinces and territories on their public commitment to and implementation of Call to Action 62.i. On October 9, 2018, KAIROS released an updated Education for Reconciliation Report Card, which measures the progress of each province and territory.
KAIROS agrees with the TRC that education is the key to reconciliation. Without a shared understanding of how our collective past brought us to where we are today, we will not be able to walk together into a better future.
In Call to Action 62.i, the TRC calls on governments in Canada, “in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to make age appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.”
Stay tuned on further developments on Education for Reconciliation.
Other TRC Calls to Action
With education in mind, KAIROS has also advocated for implementation of Calls to Action 93 and 94 to ensure that newcomers in Canada learn about the history of Indigenous peoples and Treaties (Call 93), and to revise the Oath of Citizenship to include the Treaties among the laws to observe in Canada (Call 94). Happily, Call 94 has been fulfilled! KAIROS looks forward to the full implementation of Call 93.
Together, we can change the education system and help transform Canadian society. We have momentum to build on, thanks to those who have come before us: residential school Survivors, intergenerational Survivors, activists, organizations, educators and others who have for years been calling for every student to learn the true history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Thank you also to those who signed petitions, had them presented in legislatures, and met with elected officials and policy advisors. Your actions have had an impact on strengthening reconciliation through education.
