Calgary councillors look at next steps in response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission report

The City of Calgarymay boost the budgetfor its Indigenous relations officeafter a councilcommitteeheard recommendations to better meet calls to action outlined in the city's White Goose Flying report.

The White Goose Flying report, which was completed in May 2016, is Calgary's response to the final report of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that made 94 recommendations on how Canada can move from apology to action in repairing the relationship with Indigenous people.

On Tuesday, the priorities and finance committee heard from Justin Jimmy, the chair of the Calgary aboriginal urban affairs committee, and Terry Poucette, the head of the city's Indigenous relations team, who said some progress has been made on several reconciliation milestones identified in the report.

Examples included flying the Treaty 7 flag outside of City Hall, as well as displaying the flags of Treaty 7 nations inside the council chamber;an agreement to create an Indigenous gathering place in Calgary;and establishing theIndigenous relations office (IRO).

However, three recommendations were made as next steps:increasethe budget for the IRO, enhancetransparencywith annual progress reports on TRC calls to action forCalgarians,and prioritizetheimportance of educating the public and city staff about Indigenous issues.

Jimmy emphasized the latter, sayingthe recent discoveryof what are believed to be the unmarked burial sites of children's remains adjacent to a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.should not have been the catalyst for the renaming of Calgary's Langevin School.

Its namesake,Hector-Louis Langevin, is considered an architect of the residential school system.

"It's saddening to hear of changes that occur as a result of the news that came out," Jimmy said.

"While it's very appreciatedthat renaming of schools that had a poor past has occurred, one must ask the question:'Why did it take the discovery of 215little children?'"

Education, transparency and budgetary requests made

A $1.1-million budget was green-lit for the establishment of the IRO in 2018, but Poucette said it was reduced by$482,000 in 2019 to meet corporate reduction targets.

Jimmy and Poucette asked that city administration bring forward a request for a budget increase for the IRO through the November 2021 budget deliberations.The motion was approved.

Poucette said training on Indigenous matters and reconciliation is offered to city employees, but she also wants to enhancethe curriculum.

"We really need to take an in-depth look at the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action, anddevelop a strategy that would see a genuine and in-depth implementation beginning with the comprehensive awareness of city staff," Poucette said.

Coun. Ward Sutherland agreedand saideducation is critical to understanding the history of Indigenous cultures. He addedhe wouldlike to see that education become mandatory for city employees.

Sutherland said he would liketo see space at City Hall made available to provide information about Treaty 7 and the First Nationsin thearea, so that when "citizens or visitors are looking around City Hall, that there is a display area that has that educational component."

Mayor Naheed Nenshi acknowledged that the city had moved forward on many symbolic aspects of reconciliation, but said more tangible steps need to be taken.

"We will have a lot of work to do," Nenshi said. "Our conversations about renaming schools and symbols and stuff are important, but they're empty in the absence of true reconciliation."

Support is available for anyone affected by residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for formerstudents and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

TheIndian Residential School Survivors Society(IRSSS)can be contacted toll-freeat1-800-721-0066.