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2 | Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
8.We call upon the federal government to eliminate the discrepancy in federal education funding for First Nations children being educated on reserves and those First Nations children being educated off reserves.
9.We call upon the federal government to prepare and publish annual reports comparing funding for the education of First Nations children on and off reserves, as well as educational and income attainments of Aboriginal peoples in Canada compared with non-Aboriginal people.
10.We call on the federal government to draft new Aboriginal education legislation with the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples. The new legislation would include a commitment to sufficient funding and would incorporate the following principles:
i.Providing sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation.
ii.Improving education attainment levels and success rates.
iii.Developing culturally appropriate curricula.
iv.Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages, including the teaching of Aboriginal languages as credit courses.
v.Enabling parental and community responsibility, control, and accountability, similar to what parents enjoy in public school systems.
vi.Enabling parents to fully participate in the education of their children.
vii.Respecting and honouring Treaty relationships.
11.We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education.
12.We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families.
Language and culture
13.We call upon the federal government to acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights.
14.We call upon the federal government to enact an Aboriginal Languages Act that incorporates the following principles:
i.Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued element of Canadian culture and society, and there is an urgency to preserve them.
ii.Aboriginal language rights are reinforced by the Treaties.
iii.The federal government has a responsibility to provide sufficient funds for Aboriginal-language revitalization and preservation.
iv.The preservation, revitalization, and strengthening of Aboriginal languages and cultures are best managed by Aboriginal people and communities.
v.Funding for Aboriginal language initiatives must reflect the diversity of Aboriginal languages.
15.We call upon the federal government to appoint, in consultation with Aboriginal groups, an Aboriginal Languages Commissioner. The commissioner should help promote Aboriginal languages and report on the adequacy of federal funding of Aboriginal-languages initiatives.
16.We call upon post-secondary institutions to create university and college degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages.
17.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.
Health
18.We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law, and under the Treaties.
19.
We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes