Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action

Created in 2008 as a result of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has a mandate to listen to survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and inform all Canadians about the residential school system and its legacy.

In 2015, the TRC published its final report detailing the experiences and impacts of the residential school system, creating a historical record of its legacy and consequences.

The TRC recorded testimony of more than 6,000 survivors affected by residential schools.

Over more than a century, it is estimated approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were separated from their families and communities and forced to attend one of 139 residential schools across Canada.

One outcome of the report was a document detailing 94 Calls to Action across a wide range of areas including child welfare, education, health, justice, language and culture.

Why the Calls to Action are important

It’s important to recognize the historical and ongoing wrongs perpetrated against Indigenous Peoples and the legacy of colonialism still in place today.

The legacy of that separation and suppression of culture has had a profoundly negative impact on Indigenous communities, families and cultural connections through the generations.

The TRC Calls to Action address the ongoing impact of residential schools on survivors and their families. They also provide a path for government and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in British Columbia to create a joint vision of reconciliation.

B.C. is working collaboratively with First Nations governments, Indigenous organizations and governing bodies, and interest holder groups to ensure all parties undertake comprehensive and meaningful actions on all the TRC Calls to Action.