Call to Action 74

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Author Zaagi Ahse Geh, Brandon, shares what he’s learned about Call to Action 74, funding related to this goal, and the work of the Remembering the Children Society.

Author Introduction

My name is Zaagi Ahse Geh, and I am from Wiikwemkoong, Ontario. My English name is Brandon and I am a second-year student in the Social Service Worker program at Cambrian College. I chose Truth and Reconciliation as a general education course because it is something that I am personally connected to as an Anishinaabe Niini. I wanted to learn more about the government’s involvement in TRC and the calls to action, I used this course an opportunity to learn more and get college credits for it. My professional goal is to obtain my BSW (Bachelors Degree in Social Work) and return home to help my community break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and work with my fellow community members to make it a better place for my newborn daughter and the generations to come.

Call to Action

The TRC Call to Action I would like to introduce is number 74. This Call to Action reads:

We call upon the federal government to work with the churches and Aboriginal community leaders to inform the families of children who died at residential schools of the child’s burial location, and to respond to families’ wishes for appropriate commemoration ceremonies and markers, and reburial in home communities where requested.

– TRC, 2015

I believe this call to action is extremely important for families and communities who had lost children as a result of the Residential School system. I think that this is important for the government and churches to complete to foster reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the rest of Canada. The completion of this Call to Action has the potential to improve that relationship, it shows the individual families and communities that the government is putting an effort in for them on a more personal aspect. By not giving this certain one action then the families may not get the closure or peace of mind from their losses. Bringing their children home is an important aspect of being able to fully grieve the loss and is also showing respect to the families. I have a somewhat small personal connection to this call as well, my great grandmother’s sisters were all separated as a result of the residential schools and to this day we do not know what happened to 2 of them, so there’s definitely loss attached to the situation as we don’t know if they never returned from those schools or were moved somewhere else and lived a full life.

This call to action is also extremely important for the government to truly recognize the actual number of deceased children from the Residential School System. Justice Murray Sinclair believes the number to be as high as 6000, but there are only around 3000 confirmed deaths with names specifically. If this action is ever completed then we may see a more accurate number, and it would move us closer to reconciliation.

Progress Update

This particular call to action is reported by CBC as “In Progress-Projects Proposed”. They also claim that the government has set aside money from the 2019 federal budget for commemoration, the student death register and an online cemetery register. The actual figure is 33.8 million dollars over 3 years starting this year to maintain the National Student Death Register.

A Call for More

I call on the provincial and federal governments to further commit to the reburial process and accounting for each and every one of the children that were not fortunate enough to have come home. This is a good resource that shows each of the calls to action and their progress.

There is also the official website of the successor to the TRC commission which is located here, which showcases the work of the commission and further work.

I also located the memorial register within the NCTR website which shows the names of all the confirmed deaths at residential schools, that is also located here. I urge everyone to at least gain more knowledge of the events that caused these children to perish at the inexcusable conditions of these schools.