(Ottawa) A new report from the Yellowhead Institute concludes that Canada will not respond before the year 2081 to all 94 “calls to action” formulated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission eight years ago.
The Indigenous-led research institute at Toronto Metropolitan University found that no new recommendations had been implemented during 2023.
Since the tabling, in 2015, of the commission’s report which documented the history and impacts of the federal residential school system for Indigenous people, only 13 of the 94 “calls to action” have been implemented, according to the institute Yellowhead.
Researchers say the era of reconciliation is largely stalling in Canada and announce that this progress report will be the last produced by the institute.
The group says it is no longer sure how to force the federal government to respond to calls for action, saying Ottawa has been a reluctant partner until now.
The report released Wednesday says there are five main challenges to reconciliation: paternalism, structural discrimination against Indigenous people, reconciliation as “exploitation” or “performance”, insufficient resources and economic interests, and apathy of non-natives.