Five of the best, and perhaps, worst, recommendations
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission wrapped up its six-year task Wednesday with a ceremony at Rideau Hall, a day after releasing a report with 94 recommendations — some suggesting necessary and practical steps, others possibly not so much. The National Post’s Jen Gerson offers her thoughts on five of each:
FIVE EASY WINS
1 RESTORING TRADITIONAL NAMES
Residential schools took away their charges’ clothes, separated them from their siblings, and restricted the use of their own language. They also took away their traditional names, oftentimes replacing them with European ones. The report called on governments to waive administrative fees for five years so survivors and their descendants can restore their names on official documents like birth certificates and passports.
2 ANNUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
The recommendations included creating annual reports to examine the state of several First Nations issues, including children in care, health care and education. For example, each province is responsible for its own child welfare system, but certain trends across the country have long been apparent. Annual reports that measure disparities can help find — and fix — funding and regulatory issues.
3 A MONUMENT TO OUR MISTAKE
The report calls on governments to install highly visible monuments in Ottawa and each provincial capital. The logistics of this are, inevitably, going to be fraught. However, in the grander scheme of things, at least one monument seems appropriate. In the meantime, there’s still space between the Supreme Court and the National Library in Ottawa. Catch it before it’s used to commemorate the victims of a political ideology that has never been enacted in this country.
4 ABORIGINAL EDUCATION — FOR NON-ABORIGINALS
The report suggests training for various professionals in aboriginal culture, the history of residential schooling, and other profession-specific items. The government should certainly not compel this, but better education on these issues is a conciliatory step.
5 A NEW CURRICULUM
The report wants to see Canada’s history, the history of aboriginals here, and the residential school system become part of the curriculum.
FIVE FLOPS
1 SPANKING-LAW REPEAL
The report wants Section 43 of the criminal code — the spanking law — repealed, citing the history of physical discipline and abuse that took place at residential schools. But Section 43, which was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004, noted that only minor and trifling corrective force can legally be used against a child by a guardian or a teacher. The extensive abuse documented in the TRC’s report would not have been allowed under this law.
2 MORE CBC FUNDING
“We call upon the federal government to restore and increase funding to the CBC/Radio-Canada, to enable Canada’s national public broadcaster to support reconciliation.” Huh? Tying funding to improved aboriginal-language programming in remote regions, or for professional development for Aboriginal People may make sense. But this report is also calling on government to restore funding to the CBC so it can support the work of the commission, turning it into an arm of its own evangelization.
3 PAPAL APOLOGY
“We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors ... to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.” One can’t fault the commission for lack of ambition. Pope Francis, who has a reputation for being of the people, may very well do it. Maybe not, however. The Catholic Church enjoys the luxury of indifference to political pressures.
4 PRISON REFORM
The TRC called on all governments to work to reduce the over-representation of aboriginals in prison within 10 years — seemingly without regard for the types of offences committed, or the impact on native communities.
5 HEALING LODGES
The report calls on Ottawa “to eliminate barriers to the creation of additional aboriginal healing lodges within the federal correctional system.” There are eight such lodges; their implementation has been fraught and effectiveness questionable.