The Dene National Chief is calling on the federal government to follow the mandates set out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The framework was released in 2015 after nearly 7,000 residential school survivors testified on the abuse they suffered. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission provides ’94 Calls to Action’ to repair the harms caused by the Canadian government.
Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya says he is calling on the federal government to pass all 94 Calls to Action into legislation.
“In the Northwest Territories, the legacy of these institutions are never ever far from our minds and we continue to see the legacy of trauma in our communities,” he says in a news release.
Yakeleya says there is a need for more resources to help the Dene people recover from the harms caused by colonialism. These include funding for healing centres to be immediately implemented in the NWT and Nunavut, part of the Call to Action 21.
He added people are seeing the tolls of oppression and racism across North America and there is a demand for the government to act.
“Reconciliation requires accountability, transparency, political will, and joint leadership,” he said. “The time to act is now. The public is demanding it.”
