Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history, began in 2007. The agreement includes individual and collective elements to address the sad and terrible legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

One of these elements is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The official mandate of the TRC is found in Schedule “N” of the Settlement Agreement which includes the principles that guided the Commission in its important work. The TRC provided those individuals directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential School system with an opportunity to share their stories and/or experiences.

The Commission hosted seven national events across Canada, as well as a Closing Event in Ottawa, with the goals of hearing from former students, engaging the Canadian public, providing education about the history and legacy of the residential schools system, and sharing and honouring the experiences of former students and their families.

At the Closing Event in June 2015, the TRC released its Executive Summary, which included its findings and 94 Calls to Action aimed at redressing the legacy of residential schools and advancing the process of reconciliation in Canada.

During the TRC’s final event on December 15, 2015, the Prime Minister reiterated the Government of Canada’s commitment to work in partnership with Indigenous communities, the provinces, territories and other vital partners, to fully implement recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, starting with the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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