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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET

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National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Q&A WITH

Kimberly Murray What’s your role as the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools? As Independent Special Interlocutor, my role is to: • Engage with Survivors, First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments, Indigenous organizations, Indigenous communities and families to gather information and input about barriers and concerns relating to the identification, preservation, and protection of unmarked graves and burial sites, including the exhumation and repatriation of remains, where desired. • Provide information and liaise with relevant governments and organizations to assist Survivors, Indigenous families and communities to address barriers and navigate federal, provincial, territorial and municipal systems to support their search and recovery of the missing children. I will also do everything in my power to assist communities to obtain and preserve relevant information and records from Canada, the provinces and territories and any other institutions, such as church entities, universities and other record holders. • Provide recommendations for a new federal legal framework to protect and preserve unmarked burial sites and support the recovery of the missing children. An important consideration in this regard will be how and what Indigenous laws apply.

Can you tell us more about the new federal framework that’s underway and its role in ensuring the respectful and culturally appropriate treatment of unmarked graves and burial sites? The Sacred work that Survivors and Indigen-

ous communities have been leading to recover the children who were never returned home from Indian Residential Schools has revealed an urgent need for legislative, regulatory, and policy protections of former Indian Residential School sites and other associated sites. There are likely unmarked burials located at every former Indian Residential School Site across Canada, including both the Indian Residential Schools that are covered by the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement and those that were not recognized under that agreement. In addition, there are many associated sites that need to be searched since children were often sent to other places from Indian Residential Schools, including hospitals, Indian hospitals, sanitoria, cemeteries, reformatory schools, and industrial schools. There are significant gaps in legal protections at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels to protect the sites pending searches and investigations, and from further development. In addition, there are barriers for Survivors, Indigenous families and communities leading this work to access relevant records to locate and identify the children who are recovered. Finally, there are questions about whether law reform or other measures are needed to support death investigations and, where appropriate, criminal prosecutions. These are just some of the areas where gaps in legal protections are known to exist. As I continue to meet with Survivors, Indigenous leaders, families and communities leading this work, I may also hear about other gaps in legal protections. My final report and recommendations will be aimed at providing assistance to the federal government, and other governments, on how to ensure the protection of these sites so that the children are treated with the honour,

respect and dignity that they deserve.

How can Canadians ensure they are taking meaningful steps towards Truth and Reconciliation? The fact that unmarked burials exist on former Indian Residential School sites across Canada changed Canada’s reputation both domestically and internationally. Every Canadian has a role in supporting this Sacred work. Just as we would not tolerate the denigration of the graves of our own family members, each of us must stand up and call for respect and dignity to be shown to the children’s bodies and spirits who are being recovered. It’s also important to highlight the role of different governments, institutions, entities and organizations in contributing to the operation of Indian Residential Schools. People often think that the federal government and the church entities bear the sole responsibility of taking action in the context of the search for unmarked burials and the recovery of the children. Certainly, the federal government and the churches share the majority of this responsibility; there is absolutely no doubt about that. However, provinces, territorial governments and municipalities and other entities, such as universities, also hold records and they need to find and share these with those leading these searches. In addition, in some cases, provinces, territorial governments and some universities actively participated in the administration and inspection of Indian Residential Schools. As such, each of these governments, entities, institutions and organizations need to participate in supporting this Sacred work.

To learn more, visit osi-bis.ca.

With Each Truth There Is a Time to Reconcile Tabatha Bull

Tabatha Bull President & CEO, CCAB

ruth and Reconciliation Day presents an important opportunity for learning and discussion. It’s a time for all of us to think, reflect, and gather our thoughts and feelings with intention while keeping our hearts and conversations open about the past and continued oppression of Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada. We owe a debt of gratitude to the survivors and their families who showed incredible courage in telling their stories as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. According to the Truth and Reconciliation Report’s (2015)* definition of reconciliation, it’s “about establishing and maintaining a mutually and respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Peoples. For that to happen, there must be awareness of

the past, and acknowledgement of the harm that was inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.” One of our greatest means to learn and change behaviour is through national media. News of the confirmed unmarked grave sites at residential institutions across the country garnered national exposure, and that helped a great deal to bring attention to Canada’s history with Indigenous people. However, even today, national media provides platforms to writers that deny the truth about Indigenous people’s experiences, specifically those of people at Canada’s former residential schools. Some go as far as to call the courageous stories fabricated and fear-mongering. Culture is defined by language, art, music, oral traditions, and way of life, which for most Indigenous people involved living off the

land. When you take a defined culture that has been built through generations and reform it to fit a criterion for the purposes of assimilation, that’s cultural genocide. An experience that’s impossible to fabricate. Since its inception 39 years ago, CCAB has been an advocate for rebuilding the Indigenous economy. We take pride in building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses, supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs, and providing leadership through our research and programs to ensure Indigenous people are full participants in a joint economy in Canada. Reflecting on the courage of survivors, it’s now our turn to show courage — to listen, learn, to not be silent, and to act.

Learn more about the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business' work at ccab.com.

* What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, 118.

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