Reconciliation in Canada refers to the process of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the country. The term is often associated with the legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system, which forcibly relocated First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children into boarding schools from the late 1800s until the 1990s. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established to facilitate reconciliation among former students, their families, their communities, and all Canadians. The TRC presented 94 Calls to Action in 2015, which include various recommendations for advancing reconciliation, such as recognizing Indigenous rights, improving education, and addressing the over-representation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system.
The Government of Canada is committed to achieving reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through a renewed, respectful, and cooperative relationship. The governments approach to reconciliation is guided by the UN Declaration, the TRCs Calls to Action, constitutional values, and collaboration with Indigenous peoples as well as provincial and territorial governments. The private sector is also called upon to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards.
Reconciliation Canada is a non-profit group based in Vancouver that seeks to promote understanding of the residential school system and the reconciliation process begun by the TRC. The charitys first major public event was a "Walk for Reconciliation" held in Vancouver in 2013, which over 70,000 people participated in. The industrys strongest role in reconciliation is through economic reconciliation - identifying feasible ways to share economic opportunities arising from resource development, while continuing to improve and grow relationships based on trust and respect.