Honouring Truth and Taking Action: Reflections on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Today is a day of mourning, remembrance, and honouring the lives lost to the residential school system. It’s also a day for reflection — and a call to action.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report outlines 94 Calls to Action, each one an invitation for all of us to play our role in the ongoing work of Reconciliation.

Among them, one call stands out as a direct appeal to Canadian employers: Call to Action #92.

Call to Action #92: What It Means for Employers

Call to Action #92 urges the corporate sector to engage meaningfully in Reconciliation. While sections 92(i) and (ii) may require significant resources beyond the capacity of smaller organizations, section 92(iii) applies to every employer, regardless of size:

“Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, UNDRIP, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.”

Meeting this call takes time, investment, and long-term commitment. But every journey begins with a first step.

Where to Begin: Rethinking Land Acknowledgments

One practical place to start is with your organization’s land acknowledgment.

Too often, land acknowledgments are recited without context or understanding. Instead of only naming the Indigenous Peoples and Treaties connected to your region, learn their history and share their stories.

For example, here in Toronto:

• The Dish with One Spoon Treaty was a peace agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg to share and protect the land.

• In contrast, the Williams Treaties and Treaty 13 (between the Crown and the Mississaugas and Anishinaabeg) were deeply unjust. Land was taken for a fraction of its value, often without fair representation or translation.

Even after recent settlements, challenges persist: restricted fishing and hunting rights, inadequate compensation, and returned lands that remain taxed.

I describe this history further, with supporting links, on the Reconciliation page on my website.

Reconciliation: Recognizing the Ongoing Impact of Colonialism in the Workplace

Call to Action #92 also asks employers to recognize how colonial legacies continue to shape our workplaces.

Workplaces often mirror the broader realities of Canadian society. Indigenous Peoples continue to face disproportionate rates of:

• Overcriminalization

• Sexual violence and sexualization

• Discrimination and exclusion

Within workplaces, these systemic inequities can manifest as higher rates of discipline, harassment, discrimination, and violence.

Understanding these patterns isn’t just about awareness — it’s about accountability. Employers must apply an intersectional, equity-informed lens to policies, programs, and practices to ensure that Indigenous employees experience truly safe, respectful, and equitable workplaces.

A Personal Reflection

These are just first steps — beginnings in a much larger journey.

I share these reflections humbly, recognizing that I still have much to learn and to put into action as an individual committed to Reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not just a time for reflection once a year. It’s a daily reminder that the Calls to Action are ongoing commitments — ones that must be lived out every day, in every workplace, and in every community.