SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action

Honourable senators, it is the responsibility of this chamber to represent under-represented groups and provide a powerful voice for those whose voices have been sidelined, ignored or diminished. That responsibility is a core obligation of reconciliation, a constitutional and moral duty this institution cannot evade. It is at the heart of why we sit in this place. Today, I rise once again because a Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action commitment made in this very chamber remains outstanding.

In June 2021 Parliament unanimously passed Bill C-8, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action number 94). The oath now includes a solemn promise to respect the Aboriginal treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It was a milestone many of us believed would finally bring meaning and truth to the citizenship guide that newcomers read when they arrive in this country.

However, four years and five months later, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada study guide and TRC Call to Action 93, meant to teach newcomers the truth of our shared history, remains unchanged, frozen in time, detached from the oath we proudly amended and detached from the truth that newcomers deserve to learn.

What stands before us is no delay at all, but entrenched federal inaction and an unmistakable failure of political will. The TRC Call to Action 93 is a clear and direct request that Canada revise the citizenship guide to reflect Indigenous history, treaties, residential schools and the ongoing realities of survivors and their families.

Let me be candid: It remains outstanding despite my repeated attempts to address it. Despite sponsoring Bill C-8 in the Senate. Despite raising it during ministerial Question Period and in Senate Question Period. Despite writing letters. Despite speaking privately with ministers and their staff. Despite trying to resolve this quietly, respectfully and in good faith. I have asked. I have urged. I have reminded. And still, nothing. No response, no urgency and no accountability.

We are now on the fifth minister responsible for this file since 2021. Five ministers. Five opportunities. Five chances to deliver on a promise that Canada made in the spirit of reconciliation. Yet, we stand here today with no revised guide, no timeline, no accountability and a TRC Call to Action unmet.

Honourable colleagues, this is not a delay; it is indifference, an abandonment that erodes what little trust remains in federal commitments to Indigenous Peoples. The silence and inaction are deafening. They echo through these halls, where obligations go unfulfilled, drowning the promises we keep hearing.

Reconciliation cannot survive on symbolic gestures. It cannot survive on ceremonies, speeches or photo opportunities. It requires action, honouring commitments and following through when work becomes inconvenient, complex or politically uninteresting.

So today, after four years and five months of calls, follow-ups and silence from federal ministers, I am done urging. It is unconscionable that Canada could celebrate the passage of Bill C-8, claim honour and trust and yet allow one of its core commitments to stall in silence and indifference. Quyanainni, mahsi, koana, thank you.