Ottawa, Ontario - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Transitional Committee for the National Council for Reconciliation.
True reconciliation requires that Canada confront its history with former residential schools and follow the lead of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, Survivors, their families, and Indigenous communities. We must honour their voices, perspectives, and lived experiences as we shape the path forward in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
Today, in a historic step forward, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and the Transitional Committee for the National Council for Reconciliation Edith Cloutier, Mitch Case, and Mike DeGagne announced the selection of the Council's inaugural Board of Directors.
The Council, a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, fulfills Call to Action 53 by establishing a permanent, independent, non-political, and Indigenous-led organization. This positions the Government of Canada to respond to Calls to Action 54 to 56. The Council will monitor and evaluate reconciliation efforts and develop a multi-year national action plan. Through research, partnerships, and public education, the Council will drive systemic change and promote meaningful reconciliation across all sectors of Canadian society and release an annual report on Canada's progress towards reconciliation.
The Council's inaugural Board of Directors includes:
- Charlene Bearhead
- Édith Cloutier
- Mike DeGagné
- Jonathan Dewar
- Peter Dinsdale
- Joseph Murdoch-Flowers
- Mahalia Yakeleya Newmark
- Belinda Webb
- Julie Ann Wriston
The establishment of the National Council for Reconciliation is more than a milestone, it's a turning point that makes the status quo impossible. It will showcase and promote the efforts toward reconciliation across society and hold the Government of Canada accountable, ensure reconciliation is a living reality that honours the voices of residential school Survivors, their families, and communities. With Indigenous voices leading the way, the Council will foster lasting, systemic change that delivers real results, not just for today, but for future generations.
