PAID ADVERTISEMENT SEPTEMBER 2023 | INNOVATINGCANADA.CA
@InnovatingCanada_CA
@MediaplanetCA
Please recycle
A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Q&A WITH
Kimberly Murray
Mediaplanet sat down with Kimberly Murray, Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, to discuss her role in Canada's path to reconciliation. What does 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 Indigenous 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.
The Push for Indigenous Procurement and Export
R
Tabatha Bull, President & CEO, CCAB
econciliation requires taking meaningful steps forward to advance the Indigenous economy with intentionality for the long-term benefit of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses. For centuries, Indigenous people have provided goods and resources to help Canada grow, and that tradition continues today with more than 60,000 Indigenous businesses thriving and ready to compete in the global marketplace. Yet Indigenous businesses remain underrepresented in supply chains. Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) introduced Supply Change™ in 2018, an Indigenous procurement strategy that looks for ways to strengthen connections between corporate Canada, governments and Indigenous businesses. A large component of Supply Change™ is the Aboriginal Procurement Marketplace,
whose members consist of corporate companies committed to enhancing Indigenous representation in their supply chains, and it currently includes over 1,200 Certified Aboriginal Businesses. In 2021, the Minister of Public Service and Procurement announced a mandatory requirement for all federal departments and agencies to direct a minimum of five per cent of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses. Indigenous Services Canada further pledged $35.2 million over five years to modernize the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business. At approximately $22 billion annually, the Government of Canada is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the country. As such, even a modest change in the Government of Canada’s procurement practices will have enormous material benefits for Indigenous businesses and communities.
CCAB recently released the report Trading Nations: Supporting International Indigenous-To-Indigenous Trade Policy Development to provide an overview of Indigenous trade and export, an examination of the rights of Indigenous peoples, current provisions and examples of initiatives, as well as recommendations. Government research has shown that increasing access to markets for Indigenous businesses is key to closing economic gaps between Indigenous peoples and the non-Indigenous population, which economic analysis conducted by the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, has reported would grow the Canadian economy by $27.67 billion. CCAB is committed to ensuring procurement and trade opportunities exist to foster a strong Indigenous economy — and greater prosperity for all Canadians.
Visit CCAB.com for more information.
Mediaplanet Canada is grateful to be working on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and what is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Tkaronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. Publisher: Olivia Delbello Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Production Lead: Michael Taylor Creative Lead: Kylie Armishaw Web Editor: Christina Morgan Digital Media Coordinator: Kristen Neals Digital Traffic Strategist: Karm RathodAll images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.