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 Montréal Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

The 2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples was a direct outcome of the final report of the Commission of Public Inquiry on Relations between Indigenous and Certain Public Services in Québec (Sept. 30, 2019). The CERP report identified:

142 Calls to Action some of which applied to municipalities. This Commission was created as a result of events revealing the existence of systemic racism toward Indigenous peoples in the delivery of public services in Québec. The City of Montreal’s Reconciliation Strategy aims to implement those calls for action applicable to municipalities.” (p.28)

The TRC calls specifically on municipal governments in 12 recommendations (Nos. 17, 30, 31, 32, 40, 43, 47, 52, 55, 57, 75, 77, 79, 87 and 88) in areas as diverse as languages and cultures, reclamation of traditional names, justice, reconciliation, and commemorations, to name just a few. These calls to action have served as a guide for establishing objectives to be achieved in a dialogue between municipalities and First Nations.” 

Vision: 

Through its reconciliation strategy, the City of Montreal recognizes the Indigenous history of the island and the place that the Indigenous population occupies today in the city’s cultural fabric. As Québec’s metropolis, the City of Montreal has a central role in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through its political processes, its municipal policies and plans of actions, its urban planning and its cultural investments. The City plays this role in the following ways:

• By establishing a dialogue with Indigenous governments in Québec to the best of its abilities;
• By recognizing and highlighting the past, present and future Indigenous presence; 
• By developing a transversal and perennial strategy.

Principles: 

The City of Montreal, in collaboration with its Indigenous partners, proposes to base its reconciliation strategy on the following principles:

Government-to-Government Relations: The foundation of the City of Montreal’s reconciliation strategy is recognition of the millennial presence of Indigenous peoples on Montreal’s territory. Thus we consider Indigenous governments as the primary interlocutors in the development of policies, in a government-to-government relationship, at the same time recognizing the jurisdiction of Indigenous community organizations over issues and programs in the urban environment.

Transversality: the transversality of the reconciliation process must be a foundation stone of the strategy. We must conceive of reconciliation as a global process that affects all City departments and requires each of them to include an Indigenous dimension and component in their implementation of projects and programs that may have an impact on members of the Indigenous peoples.

Perpetuity: To ensure the perpetuity of the reconciliation process it is undertaking, the City of Montreal has committed to putting in place various measures to ensure the continuity and success of the process over a 5-year period, from 2020 to 2025. Whereas reconciliation must be permanent and survive through time, a comprehensive assessment of this strategy and the measures implemented will be carried out and an update of this Strategy will be proposed in 2025.

Strategic Objectives (pp. 34-35):

To achieve these goals, the reconciliation strategy will encompass seven objectives:

1. Develop a government-to-government relationship;
2. Improve the visibility of the Indigenous presence in the City of Montreal;
3. Support the urban Indigenous community;
4. Improve the feeling of safety of Indigenous people in Montreal;
5. Support Indigenous cultural development in the urban environment;
6. Assist the economic development of the Montreal Indigenous community;
7. Promote the protection of natural spaces and environments according to the 7th Generation Principle.” 

OECM Report on Systemic Racism and Discrimination

Montreal’s public consultation office (the OCPM) tabled a consultation report on June 15, 2020, on systemic racism and discrimination in the City’s areas of competence. The City of Montreal’s Reconciliation Strategy aims to implement those recommendations applicable to Indigenous peoples.” (2020–2025, p.34)

City of Montréal Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation: 2 out of 4 = 50%

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

Yes. In Progress as documented in the Strategy for Reconciliation p. 29 On August 21, 2017, the City of Montreal’s municipal council unanimously endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, when developing a guide on the path to reconciliation. In addition, the City of Montreal’s municipal council committed to change the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities by adding the endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples to its preamble. Strategic Objective # 2 of the “Strategy for Reconciliation” also states: Develop collaborative processes that respect the peoples” right to self-determination as guaranteed by Sections 3 to 5 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, officially recognized by the City; In call to action No. 2 of Québec’s Commission of Public Inquiry on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services (CERP) as well as call to action No. 43 of the TRC, all levels of government are asked to adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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 specifically addressed.

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. As stated in Strategic Objective # 6 The “2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation: Strategic Objective # 6 – Assist the Economic Development of Indigenous People in Montréal” states: THE CITY OF MONTREAL RECOGNIZES that systemic racism and discrimination constitute important obstacles to the urban employability of today’s Indigenous workers and professionals. As a public organization and employer of almost 26,000 people, the City of Montreal must implement best practices in human resources management and personnel training. TRC call to action No. 57 asks all levels of government to train their employees on the history of Indigenous peoples and residential schools so as to promote reconciliation.  The 2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation states: Offer City of Montreal employees online and classroom training and commit to regularly advertising its online training and offering these training courses and workshops to raise awareness of historical and contemporary Indigenous realities three times a year in response to TRC call to action No. 57 and CERP calls for action Nos. 25 and 26; • Offer this training to the Ombudsman and Montreal’s Commission de la fonction publique; “The City of Montreal is therefore committed in particular to adopting measures to improve its employees’ knowledge of historical and contemporary Indigenous realities through the development of a range of themed training activities (classroom and online training, immersive activities, etc.). This commitment answers the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action No. 57 and is linked to the promotion of education and sensitization projects aimed at the general public.”

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.

Not applicable. There were no Indian Residential Schools in Montréal The Caughnawaga Indian Day School, however, was located in Lachine. In Québec, six residential schools for First Nations children opened beginning in the 1930s. In the 1950s and 1960s, when the Québec Indian residential school system reached its zenith, four secular residential schools for Inuit children also opened their doors in the current territory of Nunavik. Many Indigenous people living in the territory that became Québec, especially in the Montreal region, were also sent to boarding schools outside Québec. As a result of the TRC’s findings, the City recognizes that the suffering and abuse associated with residential schools continue to have significant and transgenerational impacts within and outside Indigenous communities.

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.

No. Not specifically addressed.

Other Calls to Action

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

Yes. As stated in multiple documents. The Montreal Charter of Rights and Freedoms (2021 p. 4) states: “[C]itizens under the age of 18 enjoy the fundamental rights protected by the Convention on the Rights of the Child of November 20, 1989” The Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montreal, 2021—2024 (in French only), describes cultural development program development (2021-2024). In the Reconciliation Strategy, 2020—2025:Strategic Objective 3 (Support the Urban Indigenous Community) of the “Strategy for Reconciliation”states: “Support culturally safe programs offered by Indigenous organizations, especially those aimed at families and children or at providing better access to services available in the city with special attention to vulnerable populations (the homeless, women, LGBTQ2, youth).”(2020-2025, p.45)

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

Yes. As stated in multiple documents. The  Montreal Charter of Rights and Freedoms (2021) Article 20 Commitments: “d) Supporting the development and diversity of cultural practices”(2021, p.14). The Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montreal, 2021—2024 (in French only) describes cultural development program development. The 2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation: Strategic Objective 3: Support the Urban Indigenous Community p. 45 commits to:“Support culturally safe programs offered by Indigenous organizations, especially those aimed at families and children or at providing better access to services available in the city with special attention to vulnerable populations (the homeless, women, LGBTQ2, youth).”  “The City of Montreal identifies 30 or so Indigenous organizations working in the areas of creating community, arts and culture, joint action, education, training and employment, housing, political representation, health and social services, daycare services and legal services. The Montreal Indigenous Reference Guide from the Montreal Urban Indigenous Community Strategy NETWORK identifies up to 52 Indigenous organizations of all kinds in Montreal and the surrounding area. Created in 2013 and updated on a periodic basis, the Montreal Aboriginal Reference Guide from NETWORK is an initiative of their Education and Employment Circle. Its goal is to promote accessibility and referral in the Montreal Indigenous community to the services offered by organizations, entities and institutions, as well as providing advice to promote training and employability. It is available free of charge at several points of service in Montreal, and also downloadable in English at this address: https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/concordia/images/indigenous/reference-guide.pdf“.

Call to Action # 17       Language and Culture We 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 explicitly addressed. The Reconciliation Strategy, 2020—2025 has several sections devoted to language but nothing ensuring IRS survivors’ reclamation of their Indigenous names.

Call to Action # 22       Health We 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 limited. The “2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation: Strategic Objective # 4 – Improve the Feeling of Security of Montréal’s Indigenous Residents p.46 states: “The City of Montreal recognizes that the system of Indigenous residential schools induced violent physical, psychological, spiritual and mental aftereffects in Indigenous communities, families and individuals. It has been established that this intergenerational suffering is the origin of major individual and collective imbalances that may have repercussions on all components of Indigenous health” It is also recognized that the cultural shocks induced by the migration of the Indigenous community to the city can lead to a loss of direction and increased vulnerability in some individuals. The City of Montreal also recognizes the great need to adapt a good number of its services, as well as the need to better train its personnel to respond adequately to the imperatives of cultural safety of the urban Indigenous community. Objective No. 4 is thus centered on four targeted areas of protecting Indigenous people: security and prevention, homelessness, the police department and the municipal court.  Strategy for Reconciliation Strategic Objective # 7 Promote the Protection of Natural Spaces and Environments based on the 7th Generation Principle” states: “The First Nations Garden at Space for Life was created in 2001 through the collaborative work of the Botanical Garden and the member nations of the Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador (AFNQL). Since then, Indigenous knowledge and cultures have been highlighted through rich programming consisting of educational and cultural activities. The First Nations Garden presents itself as a place of reappropriation, exchanges, artistic and cultural exhibitions, healing, and research partnerships in the field of health in Indigenous communities”(2020–2025, p. 57) “Develop research partnerships in ethnobotany regarding the health of Indigenous communities in collaboration with the Botanical Garden and Space for Life: Promote the exchange of ethnobotanical knowledge, while putting into practice on-the-ground experiences”

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 communitiesProvide cultural competency training for all health-care professional

Yes. As stated in the “2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation” “Strategy Objective 6: Assist the Economic Development of Indigenous Peoples in Montreal” states: In parallel, the City of Montreal’s equal access to employment program aims to increase the hiring of women, people with disabilities, Indigenous people and visible and ethnic minorities. Strategic objective No. 6 is thus centered around three main areas related to economic development in the city: reintegration, recruiting and entrepreneurship.”, p.54). The “Strategy for Reconciliation” Objective 6” does this by promoting (p.55):  * Reintegration – Develop culturally safe approaches to offer reintegration and employability services better adapted to the specific needs of various Indigenous populations living in Montreal. Through the PME MTL network, support business projects that work toward the social integration of Montreal’s Indigenous populations;  * Recruiting – In collaboration with Indigenous organizations, develop a plan to improve recruiting, hiring and employability at the City of Montréal; Strengthen the next City of Montréal action plan for employment diversity, equity and inclusion by setting representativeness targets by employment category; * Entrepreneurship – Strategic “Objective 5”: Support Indigenous cultural development in the urban environment, is (2020–2025, pp. 51–53).Montréal’s recruitment office also offered internships in a wide variety of different professional positions within the government.

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. Not explicitly addressed.

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.

Yes. As stated in the “2020-2025 Strategy for Reconciliation” “Strategy Objective # 3: Support the Urban Indigenous Community” states: Support culturally safe programs offered by Indigenous organizations, especially those aimed at families and children or at providing better access to services available in the city with special attention to vulnerable populations (the homeless, women, LGBTQ2, youth). Support the creation of culturally adapted gathering places designed in collaboration with the community so as to meet the specific needs of various urban Indigenous community population profiles in targeted public locations: The Native Friendship Centres are true Indigenous service centres in the city, but also cultural hubs in the urban environment. Through the RCAAQ, the Friendship Centres movement advocates for Indigenous rights and interests and contributes to public policy development. Native Montreal is an Indigenous friendship centre that contributes significantly to improving urban Indigenous peoples’ living conditions and is a pillar of the urban Indigenous community in Montreal.  The Network: The Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK includes dozens of organizations in six main sectors of activity: homelessness, child protection, social services, youth, justice and health. Its mission is to promote cooperation between these agencies and the urban community in order to facilitate collaborative projects and the identification of unmet needs within the urban Indigenous population.

Call to Action # 76       Missing Children and Burial Information We 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: The Aboriginal community most affected shall lead the development of such strategies. Information shall be sought from residential school Survivors and other Knowledge Keepers in the development of such strategies. Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before any potentially invasive technical inspection and investigation of a cemetery site.

No. Not explicitly addressed. See Call to Action # 75 above

Call to Action # 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.

No. Not explicitly addressed.

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.

No. Not explicitly addressed.

Land Acknowledgement

Located on Indigenous Peoples – Home Page (under Community/Diversity)

The city acknowledges that we live on a thousand-year-old Aboriginal territory, the site of encounters and diplomacy between peoples, and of the Great Peace Treaty. We thank the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) Nation for its hospitality on unceded territory.

NOTE: All content was submitted to the City of Montréal to ensure accuracy and currency as of the time of posting. The City of Montréal did not respond to our correspondence. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Lead Researcher, Timothy Maton: Ph.D