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From Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada website ...

Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Speech from the Throne
The recent Speech from the Throne included the following statement: "Our government recently concluded a final settlement on Indian residential schools and will launch a Commission for Truth and Reconciliation. The Prime Minister on behalf of our government will use this occasion to make a statement of apology to close this sad chapter in our history". Since then we have experienced an increase in the number of inquiries about the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In an effort to keep those interested well informed, we have developed an e-newsletter.

Guidance
Over the past few months we have been fortunate to meet with a number of survivors, survivor organizations, Aboriginal organizations, Churches, and experts in truth and reconciliation commissions in other parts of the world. This advice combined with the TRC Mandate - Schedule “N” of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (Settlement Agreement) - has been very helpful. We are grateful for all of the advice we have received.

In particular, we want to identify the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission Conference at the University of Calgary and the workshops with the National Residential Schools Survivors’ Society as very significant sources of guidance. Furthermore, the Assembly of First Nations Survivors Committee and the International Center for Transitional Justice continue to be important groups to work with.

Once the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is launched, the Commissioners will take some time to prepare the budget and seek the guidance of survivors, survivor organizations, Aboriginal leaders, and Churches regarding the implementation of the TRC Mandate.

Selection of Commissioners
As many of you know, we have recently had an open process to accept nominations for the Chair and the two Commissioners who will oversee the work of the TRC. Over 300 people were nominated for these significant positions. A selection panel is now in place with the leadership of two co-chairs. We are fortunate that Professor Marlene Brant-Castellano and the Honourable Thomas Berger agreed to co-chair the important work of the Selection Panel. To see the profiles of the selection panel members, please visit http://www.irsr-rqpi.gc.ca/english/truth_reconciliation_commission.html.

Our hope is that the work of the selection panel will be done in the next few weeks and they will be in a position to make their recommendations to Minister Chuck Strahl and National Chief Phil Fontaine for a final consultation before the chosen names are put forward for Order in Council appointment. Orders in Council are signed by the Governor General to give legal force to Cabinet decisions that relate to a Statutory Authority or the Royal Prerogative.

Uniqueness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The TRC will be unique in a number of ways. It will be a TRC that will focus on the experience of children, will cover a large geographic area, and will examine a lengthy period of time.

One other feature that will make the Truth and Reconciliation Commission unique is that it is being established pursuant to a court order and the court will play an on-going role in overseeing th implementation of the TRC and the Settlement Agreement as a whole. One thing the court has made clear is that they expect the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be independent. To this end, we are working to ensure that the TRC will be independent, and will have the proper legal structure, while at the same time having full access to government and church archives. We will ensure we are accountable to the parties to the Settlement Agreement while minimizing unnecessary reporting and overhead.

Survivor Committee and Regional Liaisons
Two structural features of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that will ensure effective communication and on-going survivor guidance will be the Regional Liaisons and the Indian Residential School (IRS) Survivor Committee. The Regional Liaisons will be hired after the Commissioners and the IRS Survivor Committee members are selected.

Commemoration
We are working with Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada (IRSRC) and a number of survivor groups to develop a Commemoration Strategy. As you may know, 20 million dollars was identified in the Settlement Agreement for Commemoration. The Commissioners in consultation with the IRS Survivor Committee will have approval authority for this fund and IRSRC will provide the administration of the funds.

Missing Children and Unmarked Burials
One of the significant challenges that we are currently working on is the difficult issue of children who died or went missing from residential school without their parents' knowledge. We have formed a working group comprised of representatives of Aboriginal organizations, survivor groups, Churches, and the federal government to examine this issue, and to make a report to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and to the Commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We are fortunate that Professor John S. Milloy (past researcher for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and author of A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System, University of Manitoba Press, 1999) is helping to lead this work.

Ongoing Work
Much of our current work consists of developing advice for the Chair and the Commissioners to consider in deciding how they will fulfill their mandate. Questions on various components of the TRC that we are seeking feedback on will soon be posted on: http://www.irsr-rqpi.gc.ca/english/truth_reconciliation_commission.html.

We invite you to participate in advising the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by providing your feedback on these questions or other issues that are important to you. You can do this via:

Email: TRC-CVR@irsr-rqpi.gc.ca
Fax: (613) 947-5794
Mail: Office of the Interim Executive Director
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Suite 341, 90 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H4

The TRC is a process that relies on the feedback, advice, and willingness of survivors, their families, and communities to create a new memory of the Indian residential school legacy. At a survivor’s meeting in Lytton, B.C., hosted by the Empowered Residential School Survivors Society, one survivor in commenting on the importance of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said "we will be writing the history books for our future generations", another said "if we don't tell the truth who will?".

Meeg-wetch for taking the time to read this newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you.