Published: March 19, 2018Last updated: Jun. 22, 2023
In March 2018, CBC News launched Beyond 94, a website that monitors progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.
Beyond 94 was the result of a year’s worth of research and interviews with survivors, stakeholders and all levels of government.
While the content is continually updated, in September 2021, CBC reviewed the progress status of each of the 94 calls to action.
The site provides up-to-date status reports on each call to action, as well as extensive summaries explaining those status reports. It includes in-depth features and short video documentaries that tell some of the community stories behind the calls to action. It also features residential school survivors sharing their experiences.
Use the circles to explore each call to action in detail
18Not started
31In progress - Projects proposed
32In progress - Projects underway
13Complete
About the TRC
The first residential schools opened in Canada in the 1800s. They were the product of churches and the government; a collective, calculated effort to eradicate Indigenous language and culture that the commission called a policy of cultural genocide.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed as a means of reckoning with the devastating legacy of forced assimilation and abuse left by the residential school system. From 2008 to 2014, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard stories from thousands of residential school survivors. In June 2015, the commission released a report based on those hearings. From that came the 94 Calls to Action: individual instructions to guide governments, communities and faith groups down the road to reconciliation.
Beyond 94 will now monitor the progress of that journey.
To see the locations of known residential schools, you can visit this map created by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Measuring progress
In researching the progress of each Call to Action, CBC reached out to relevant governments, faith groups, professional and community organisations for comment. We fact-checked each response with invested stakeholders. We also cross-referenced federal funding announcements with actual and past financial expenditures. We also drew information from past and current CBC stories.
Beyond 94 measures the progress of the Calls to Action based on the following;
“Not started” refers to Calls to Action in which no action plan has been developed and/or no funds have been committed, to implement the Call to Action.
“In Progress — Projects proposed” refers to Calls to Action in which the relevant parties involved have either committed to an action plan or funding, but not yet followed through with it.
“In Progress — Projects underway” refers to Calls to Action in which the relevant parties involved are actively working towards implementing that call, with both a timeline and (where needed) the funding to make it happen.
“Complete” refers to Calls to Action which have been fully implemented.
Bill C-92 An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Children, Youth and Families was passed in 2019 but it doesn't address all the elements of the call to action.
In 2018, the federal government committed funding for First Nations child and family services prevention initiatives. But it does not specifically target culturally appropriate parenting programs.
In the February 2018 federal budget, the government committed to create a new Indigenous employment training program. But some of the funding is not new; it included funding previously committed for a pre-existing program that had been scheduled to conclude in March 2018.
Since 2016, the federal government has committed additional funding to address the discrepancy between on-reserve and off-reserve students. But the commitments fell short of earlier election promises.
So far there is no Indigenous education legislation being drafted. Regarding the principles it would include, however, there is some progress. Furthermore, in 2017/18, the federal government supported the creation of two First Nations school systems.
The 2021 federal budget pledged $150.6 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to support post-secondary funding commitments for Indigenous students. But this funding is less than what was allotted in prior federal budgets.
In September 2018, the federal government released the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. In February 2021, the federal budget proposed to invest $2.5 billion over the next five years, to support the framework’s mandate.
Use the circles to explore each call to action in detail
0Not started
0In progress - Projects proposed
2In progress - Projects underway
3Complete
In June 2017 the federal government, in a joint statement with Indigenous leaders, confirmed that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights.
Many post-secondary institutions offer courses in Indigenous languages, included in larger Indigenous studies programs. Some offer degree or diploma programs in Indigenous languages.
Indigenous people can reclaim traditional names on passports and other federal government identification, free of charge for five years. Ontario, N.W.T., Nova Scotia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and B.C. have also waived fees for five years for name changes on identity documents.
Use the circles to explore each call to action in detail
0Not started
4In progress - Projects proposed
3In progress - Projects underway
0Complete
The federal government has not implemented the health care rights of Indigenous people, but it is developing new legislation designed to improve Indigenous access to culturally relevant health services.
The federal government has not established measurable goals to identify and close gaps in most health outcomes, though it has committed to do so in some.
The federal government has committed to recognize and address the distinct health needs of the Métis and Inuit, but financial commitments are in the beginning stages.
The 2019 federal budget committed to support the construction and ongoing operation of a mental health and substance abuse treatment facility in Nunavut.
The Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Nurses Association are working on ways to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and practices in health care.
There are efforts in place to retain and increase the number of Indigenous health care providers, but most are still in the development stage. Furthermore, not all health care professionals are required to take cultural competency training.
Use the circles to explore each call to action in detail
4Not started
10In progress - Projects proposed
2In progress - Projects underway
2Complete
In a mandate letter, the federal government reaffirmed the independence of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate crimes in which the government is a potential party, but it has not established a written policy.
There have been no amendments to provincial or territorial statutes of limitation acts specifically regarding historical abuse against Indigenous peoples.
The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has formally recommended that its members consider implementing mandatory Indigenous cultural competency training.
While the federal government has committed funding for the creation of programs designed to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in custody, some of those programs are simply replacing prior programs with the same mandates and the same level of funding.
In 2022, Bill C-5 was passed and received royal assent. It repeals certain mandatory minimum penalties — penalties the Liberals say have disproportionately harmed Indigenous and Black offenders and those struggling with addictions.
In 2022, Bill C-5 was passed and received royal assent. It repeals certain mandatory minimum penalties — penalties the Liberals say have disproportionately harmed Indigenous and Black offenders and those struggling with addictions.
In May 2017, federal Minister of Health Jane Philpott announced $3.6 million in federal funding for five projects “aimed at preventing and screening for alcohol use in pregnancy,” according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). But the funding is not new, nor is it an increase.
In 2019, Manitoba opened a sentencing court specifically for offenders with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and Yukon started a "navigator-advocates" program.
In 2017, the federal government implemented the Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative to support the development of alternatives to custody and reintegration projects for Indigenous offenders.
The federal government previously committed funding for the creation of programs designed to provide more supports for Aboriginal programming in halfway houses and services. But some of those programs are simply replacing prior programs with the same mandates and the same level of funding.
Amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2019 were supposed to help reduce youth over-incarceration, but critics say they did not address the root causes of over-incarceration.
In June 2021, the federal government committed $85 million for the construction of 12 new shelters across Canada for Indigenous women, children and 2SLGTBQ people escaping family violence. The shelters will be Indigenous-led and in partnership with First Nations communities across Canada.
Use the circles to explore each call to action in detail
12Not started
11In progress - Projects proposed
21In progress - Projects underway
8Complete
The Liberal government passed legislation to implement UNDRIP in June 2021. But six provinces officially opposed the legislation, citing concerns that it would impact provincial laws and jurisdiction.
The federal government has not created a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation, issued by the Crown, nor has it formally repudiated the concepts of the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius.
All the church parties to the Settlement Agreement have committed to implementing UNDRIP into their framework, are engaging in ongoing dialogue about it and have issued a statement outlining their commitment to it.
The 2019 federal budget proposed to provide $9.1 million over three years, starting in 2019–20, to support the construction of an Indigenous Legal Lodge at the University of Victoria.
There is no such policy, although a federal Working Group of Ministers cited fairness in legal interactions as a guiding principle toward reconciliation.
Legislation to create the National Council for Reconciliation was tabled in June 2022. Funding was pledged to establish the council in the 2020-21 fiscal year but it was not multi-year.
Legislation to create the National Council for Reconciliation was tabled in June 2022. Governments have not yet provided data or annual reports to the council regarding the progress of reconciliation.
Legislation to create a National Council for Reconciliation was tabled in June 2022. The council has not yet released a report to which the prime minister could respond.
The Canada School of Public Service is developing curriculum for federal public servants around reconciliation and the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.
The Pope has come to Canada and made an apology to residential school survivors, but 'left a deep hole' in acknowledging the Church’s role by blaming individual members of the Church, says the former TRC chair.
All of the churches involved in residential schools are members of KAIROS Canada - an organization that works for ecological justice and human rights. KAIROS Canada’s Blanket Exercise is a particularly important educational resource that many of the churches use to teach their congregations about the history of residential schools.
All of the churches fund or have in the past funded healing, community-controlled culture and language and community-controlled education and relationship building projects, but to varying degrees.
Currently, all provinces and territories include the history of residential schools in their curriculum, but not all of it is mandatory, and some provinces are now scaling back on their commitments to Indigenous content.
While the Council of Ministers of Education Canada has not committed to maintaining an “annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues,” it did commit in 2019 to ongoing engagement over three years.
Some publicly-funded denominational schools offer Indigenous history or cultural courses, but not all are mandatory and few were developed in collaboration with Indigenous elders.
In February 2022, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation launched a national research program to advance understanding of reconciliation.
In 2019, the federal government provided $15.2 million to create a pilot program to support Indigenous youth initiatives. That program is in its final year, though the federal government states it is considering a longer term approach.
In April 2019, Canadian Heritage announced funding for the Canadian Museums Association to undertake a national review of museum policies. A final report based on that review is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.
A national funding program was created to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary. But it was created in May 2015 by the prior federal government, not in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and not exclusively to fund projects on the theme of reconciliation.
Library and Archives Canada has not released a statement fully adopting and implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, although it cites support of UNDRIP.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has not received death records of Indigenous children in the care of residential schools from most chief coroners and vital statistics agencies.
The 2019 federal budget committed money to providing opportunities for commemoration, as well as a student death register and online cemetery registry. In August 2021, the federal government added an additional $83 million to fund searches of burial sites and commemorate the children who died at residential schools.
In June 2022, the federal government appointed Kimberly Murray as a special interlocutor to co-ordinate the government’s response to unmarked graves at former residential school sites for a two-year term.
There are a few parties engaged in protecting residential school cemeteries though they do not necessarily implement all of the requirements of Call to Action #76.
The NCTR has still not accessed records and data from some church denominations and government archives. But in January 2022, the federal government struck a deal that will see it share more than 850,000 documents related to residential schools.
In December 2016, the federal government committed $10 million over seven years to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. However, additional funding to help communities research and produce their own histories has not been announced.
In June 2022, a new Historic Places of Canada Act was tabled. Since September 2020, four former residential schools were designated as national historic sites.
The federal government has established a survivor-led steering committee to oversee a Residential Schools National Monument in the city of Ottawa. A site has been chosen on the west side of Parliament Hill.
In Budget 2016 the Federal government invested an additional $75 million in CBC/Radio-Canada, rising to $150M for 2017 and beyond. CBC/Radio-Canada’s “Accountability Plan” reports on how those additional resources are invested. While the Commission recommended increased funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, public funding cannot be tied to specific types of programming which would conflict with the programming independence set out in the Broadcasting Act.
APTN produces more than 80 per cent Canadian content, the vast majority which reflects the cultures, languages and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. Its content is available in English, French and from year to year, between 15 and 23 Indigenous languages.
While some journalism schools in Canada offer courses on Indigenous history, not all are mandatory, and not all include all the criteria cited in Call to Action #86.
In April 2017, the federal government committed ongoing funding to support culturally relevant sport programming for Indigenous youth and children at the community level, and support the North American Indigenous Games.
In 2015, after the release of the TRC report, Sport Canada reinstated funding to the Aboriginal Sport Circle, a national organization that advocates for athletic resources for Indigenous, Métis and Inuit peoples.
While there has been some acknowledgement of Indigenous Peoples at some international sporting events, it’s been minimal, and with little consultation from local Indigenous communities. In July 2022, however, a Vancouver council committee voted to allow an Indigenous-led bid for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to proceed to the next step.
The corporate sector has not collectively adopted UNDRIP, nor formally committed to management level training of UNDRIP and the legacy of residential schools.
The Citizenship Study Guide has not been revised since 2011. But in a June 2018 statement, the federal government said changes to the information kit for newcomers were close to completion.
Beyond 94 was a full year in the making and involved CBC journalists across the country.
The site provides up-to-date status reports on each call to action, as well as extensive summaries explaining those status reports. It includes in-depth features and short video documentaries that tell some of the community stories behind the calls to action. It also features residential school survivors sharing their experiences.
We’d like to acknowledge and thank all of the people who generously shared their stories with us through this project and those who continue to share their stories so that we can hear the truth and understand how to move forward together.
Credits:
Jorge Barrera, Teghan Beaudette, Chantelle Bellrichard, Alex Brockman, Meagan Deuling, Kelly Malone, Nic Meloney, Brandi Morin, Lenard Monkman, Kieran Oudshoorn, Jason Warick, Bridget Yard
Additional credits: Stephanie Brown - Senior Producer, Tamara Baluja - Social Media Producer, Donna Carreiro - Producer / Researcher, Earl Cabuhat - Senior Designer, Stephanie Cram, Associate Producer, Jennifer Geens - Copy Editor, Arnold Hedstrom - Senior Producer, David Hutton - Managing Editor, Darcy Hunter - Sr. Graphics Producer, Tyson Koschik - Camera, Bertram Schneider - Executive Producer, Marilyn Robak - Senior Producer, Hannah Wise - Manager, Interactives, Karin Yeske - Senior Producer, Chanss Lagaden - Camera
