Municipal Calls to Action

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report calls on municipalities to deliver specific outcomes for the following 5 Calls to Action:

Call to Action	Description	Specific Outcome
C2A # 43	UN Declaration (UNDRIP)	Fully adopt and implement UNDRIP as the framework for reconciliation
C2A # 47	Royal Proclamation and Covenant	Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius
C2A # 57	PD and Training for Public Servants	Provide education to civil servants on Indigenous issues, histories and treaties
C2A # 75	Missing Children and Burial Information	Develop and implement strategies and procedures for ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration and protection of residential school cemeteries
C2A # 77	National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation	All archives to collaborate with National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation on collection of all records

City of Calgary Commitment to Reconciliation

City of Calgary Council Meeting: White Goose Flying Update Report: June 21, 2021

The Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council direct Administration to:

• Identify the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action as a priority for the City of Calgary and a responsibility of all leaders and staff
• Establish an annual report to Calgarians on the progress made on TRC Calls to Action where The City has either a direct (Own) or indirect (Partner or Encourage) role, as outlined in the White Goose Flying report, reporting through the Priorities and Finance Committee; and
• Bring forward a request for a budget increase for the indigenous Relations Office through the November 2021 budget deliberations that will accelerate the advancement of actions outlined in the White Goose Flying Report

City of Calgary Council Meeting: 2022-2023 White Goose Flying Annual Progress Report

Recommendations of the Executive Committee

1. Establish an annual Regular Council Meeting with an Indigenous focus during the month of September, starting in 2024
2. Direct Administration to incorporate the additional Regular Council Meeting into the Council Calendar for consideration at the annual Organizational Meeting of Council; and 
3. Direct Administration top bring the next progress report on White Goose Flying to the 2024 September meeting of Council

Highlights

• Following the 2021 confirmation of children’s unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian residential school, Council reaffirmed its commitment to truth and reconciliation and directed Administration to submit a White Goose Flying annual progress update to Calgarians
• While there are success to the calls to action, improvement areas remain and Administration continues to move the work forward. See Attachment 2 for more detail
• The White Goose Flying annual progress report helps to demonstrate that the City of Calgary remains committed to advancing the work around truth and reconciliation and the calls to action. A leger poll conducted on the second anniversary of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation found that 70 per cent of Albertans understood why reconciliation is important for Indigenous people and Canada as a whole.
• Council and the Executive Leadership Team, have stressed that reconciliation is the responsibility of all employees and leaders who work for The City.
• 2022-2023 highlights of the advancement oof calls to action include;
  • Moving forward on Council’s $1M investment made in 2021 for an Indian Residential School Memorial through the establishment of an Elder’s Advisory Committee and completion of engagement with Indigenous people and Calgarians;
  • The Indigenous Gathering Place Notice of Motion (EC2022-0150) and subsequent work to prepare land in and around the confluence;
  • Approval of ceremonial space at the Municipal Building; and 
    • Indigenous placemaking and identification of culturally significant areas in City parks
• Council recognizes that sufficient resources are necessary to fully advance calls to action in the White Goose Flying report and allocated $1.5 million in one-time operating funds to support reconciliation in the 2023-2026 budget cycle

The Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC) 

In 2016, the City of Calgary’s Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee developed the White Goose Flying Report, which outlines eighteen calls to action that the City of Calgary has taken ownership to implement. It also summarizes twelve calls to action that the City will support arms-length organizations to implement and an additional thirteen calls to action where the City will call for other partners and stakeholders to take leadership of.

”After consultations with Treaty 7 traditional knowledge keepers, urban indigenous people and City stakeholders, CAUAC proposed the Indigenous Policy and Indigenous Policy Framework. Together, they recommend and guide meaningful long-term efforts to bring indigenous identities, histories, cultures, languages, traditions, principles, world views, relationships and ways of knowing into municipal planning, advising and decision-making efforts. City Council approved the policy and framework in April 2017

The White Goose report (page 8) clarifies its recommendations that “Calgary City Council approve three categories of recommendation”:

CAUAC believes that if The City of Calgary were to implement the three categories identified on the top of page 8 (encompassing 43 of the total 94 Calls to Action recommended by the TRC), The City would be moving toward sustainable reconciliation.

Own (five streams = 18 C2A):

Corporate-wide priority actions requiring investment and implementation through a multi-year, multi-pronged approach”

• Stream A: Public Awareness and Training: Calls to Action # 57, 62i, 69iii, 93
• Stream B: Spiritual Healing, Culture and Arts Commemoration: 21, 22, 48ii, 79i, iii, 82, 83
• Stream C: Leadership-to-Leadership Relations: 45iii, 
• Stream D: Cemeteries & Records: 75, 77
• Stream E: Athletic Development and Heritage: 87, 88, 89, 90, 91

Partner (three streams = 12 C2A): 

Actions requiring City departments or affiliates to take the lead on stakeholder collaborations and share implementations, particularly at beginning stages.

• Stream F: Adult Justice: 30, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 55iv, v, vi
• Stream G: Youth Justice and Employment: 7, 31, 34, 38
• Stream H: Basic Needs: 20

Encourage (four streams = 13):

Actions requiring City Council to call for leadership from organizations outside of municipal government—specifically those which have direct or indirect bearing on socio-economic issues affecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens, and which have a role to play in reconciliation”.

• Stream I: Post-Secondary Education: 1iii, 16, 24, 27, 28
• Stream J: Primary Education: 8, 9, 62iii, 64
• Stream K: Indigenous Healthcare: 3, 5, 23iii
• Stream L: Corporate Leadership: 92

City of Calgary Progress in Advancing Reconciliation: 4 out of 5 = 80%

All responses are from “White Goose Flying Report: A Report to Calgary City Council on the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation, 2021 ads 2023”

Call to Action # 43         The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose Flying Report”Adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) requires direction from the federal government first (endorsed ‘aspirationally’ in 2010 but not implemented) before it can be considered at a municipal level. That being said, some components of UNDRIP will be addressed in the forthcoming Indigenous Policy Framework in 2017.

Call to Action # 47       Royal Proclamation and Covenant of Reconciliation We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples and lands, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, and to reform those laws, government policies, and litigation strategies that continue to rely on such concepts.

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose Flying Report” Repudiating concepts used to justify Euro-specific sovereignty (Doctrine of Discovery) also requires federal leadership. Until this occurs, CAUAC hopes to present thinking in the Indigenous Policy Framework, building on imagineCalgary principles. One major constraint on the City is the Government of Alberta (GoA) Aboriginal Consultation Office that determines what treaty rights and traditional uses in GoA’s Policy on Consultation with First Nations (2013) look like and when consultation is necessary. For complete details see Indigenous Consultation in Alberta.

Call to Action # 57       Professional Development and Training for Public Servants We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 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.

Yes. Listed as one of the OWN streams in the White Goose Flying Report. Public sector staff training on Indigenous issues, intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and anti-racism is a high priority, and the most important investment the City can undertake.  This C2A was implemented through the passing of a bylaw under the city’s “procedures” section.“Staff training in Indigenous issues will provide an informed preparation for building on #43 and #47, at such time as they become actionable.”

Call to Action # 75       Missing Children and Burial Information We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children.

Yes. Parks and Open Spaces (Cemeteries) Only one known school burial has been located inside city limits. According to the “White Goose Flying Report Update, April 2023” school cemeteries have been investigated and records have been delivered The White Goose Flying report itself was named after the grave site of White Goose Flying at St. Dunstan’s residential school. White Goose Flying had a memorial site overlooking the Bow River. A grave ceremony relocated it to Queen’s Park Cemetery on September 30, 1971. According to Heritage Calgary (May 31, 2021)

Call to Acton # 77        National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation We call upon provincial, territorial, municipal, and community archives to work collaboratively with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to identify and collect copies of all records relevant to the history and legacy of the residential school system, and to provide these to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Yes. Listed as one of OWN streams in the White Goose Flying Report.Corporate Records (Archives) and Calgary Parks (Cemeteries) were engaged and the delivery of records occurred under the direction of Calgary Neighbourhoods”

Other Calls to Action

See also “White Goose Flying Report Annual Progress Report 2022-2023”

Call to Action # 5        Child Welfare We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families

No. Identified as part of the ENCOURAGE stream in the White Goose Flying Report that encourages non-municipal organizations, to address this C2A. i.e Alberta Health Services The city’s Social Planning, Recreation and Social Programs, is currently monitoring this need: “Immigrant and Indigenous Needs: We are monitoring the rapid growth of immigrant, senior and Indigenous demographics. Calgary’s population is becoming increasingly diverse, with unique needs that require culturally sensitive programs and services.” (2023) The Social Planning department has stated that it will: “Provide Indigenous cultural opportunities for children and youth to further Truth and Reconciliation actions by delivering targeted programming.” (2023)

Call to Action # 12       EducationWe call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families.

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose Flying Report”

Call to Action # 17       Language and CultureWe call upon all levels of government to enable residential school Survivors and their families to reclaim names changed by the residential school system by waiving administrative costs for a period of five years for the name-change process and the revision of official identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, status cards, and social insurance numbers.

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose Flying Report”

Call to Action # 22                   HealthWe call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients.

Yes, but only partially. Identified as part of the OWN stream in the White Goose Flying Report. The White Goose Flying Report, however, focuses on working “collaboratively to seek real estate, appropriate infrastructure, public buildings, gardens and parkland for Indigenous ceremonial, cultural, commemorative activities, as well as healing” and defers to Alberta Health Services “Indigenous Health Commitments: Roadmap to Wellness”.  The roadmap reflects AHS’ understanding and respect for Indigenous nations’ worldviews and healing traditions. Most importantly, the roadmap calls on the entire organization to do the real and difficult work of reconciliation by acting on what matters to Indigenous patients, families, communities and nations.

Call to Action # 23       Health We call upon all levels of government to: * Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health care field. * Ensure the retention of Aboriginal health-care providers in Aboriginal communities * Provide cultural competency training for all health-care professional

No. Identified as part of the ENCOURAGE stream in the White Goose Flying Report that encourages non-municipal organizations, to address this C2A. i.e Alberta Health Services

Call to Action # 55       National Council We call upon all levels of government to provide annual reports or any current data requested by the National Council for Reconciliation so that it can report on the progress towards reconciliation. The reports or data would include, but not be limited to: * The number of Aboriginal children—including Métis and Inuit children—in care, compared with non-Aboriginal children, the reasons for apprehension, and the total spending on preventive and care services by child-welfare agencies. * Comparative funding for the education of First Nations children on and off reserves. * Educational and income attainments of Aboriginal peoples in Canada compared with non-Aboriginal people. * Progress on closing the gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in a number of health indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services. * Progress on eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in youth custody over the next decade. * Progress on reducing the rate of criminal victimization of Aboriginal people, including data related to homicide and family violence victimization and other crimes. * Progress on reducing overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in justice and correctional systems

No. Identified as part of the PARTNER stream in the White Goose Flying Report requiring City departments or affiliates to take the lead on stakeholder collaborations and share implementations, particularly at beginning stages

Call to Action # 66       Youth We call upon the federal government to establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish a national network to share information and best practices.

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose Flying Report” The Calgary Social Planning, Recreation and Social Programs’ report (2023-2026)  has stated that it will: “Provide Indigenous cultural opportunities for children and youth to further Truth and Reconciliation actions by delivering targeted programming.”(2023)

Call to Action # 76       Missing Children and Burial InformationWe call upon the parties engaged in the work of documenting, maintaining, commemorating, and protecting residential school cemeteries to adopt strategies in accordance with the following principles:  i. The Aboriginal community most affected shall lead the development of such strategies.  ii. Information shall be sought from residential school Survivors and other Knowledge Keepers in the development of such strategies.  iii. Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before any potentially invasive technical inspection and investigation of a cemetery site.

No. Not listed as one of the 43 Calls to Action endorsed by the “White Goose” Flying report”. The “White Goose” report focuses on Call to Action 75 and 77. See above comments in Call to Action # 75

Call to Action # 87       Sports and Reconciliation We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.

Yes: Identified as part of the OWN stream in the White Goose Flying Report Calgary Recreation and partners explore internally how to incorporate Indigenous content into the design and delivery of recreation/sports programs, services and facilities, specifically: historical contribution of Indigenous athletes in and around Calgary

Land Acknowledgement

Located under Protocols on the Indigenous Relations Home Page

We would like to take this opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge that we are gathered on the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, made up of the Siksika (Seeg-see-kah), Piikani (Bee-gun-nee), Amskaapipiikani (Om-Skaa-bee-bee-Gun-nee) and Kainai (G-ai-nah) First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi (ee-YETH’-kah nah-COH’-dah WHISK’-ah-tah-bay) First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki (Chin-ick-ee), Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation. The city of Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to the Otipemisiwak (Oti-pe-MES-se-wa) Métis Government, Métis Nation Battle River Territory (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6). We acknowledge all Indigenous people who have made Calgary their home.

See also: Land Acknowledgement Protocols

NOTE: All content was submitted to the City of Calgary to ensure accuracy and currency as of the time of posting. The City of Calgary responded to our correspondence. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Lead Researcher, Timothy Maton: Ph.D