9. TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: HISTORIC SITES AND MONUMENTS
Whereas #1 Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has asked the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to look at how to address concerns with historical figures like John A. Macdonald, whose role in establishing residential schools has made him a polarizing figure in reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples; and
Whereas #2 the former chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair, said, “We should stop arguing about whether schools should be named after Sir John A. Macdonald, and start thinking about how to honour overlooked Indigenous heroes”; and
Whereas #3 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s document What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation states, “Reconciliation requires sustained public education and dialogue, including youth engagement, about the history and legacy of residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous rights, as well as the historical and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples to Canadian society”; and
Whereas #4 in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, number 79 calls upon “the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Indigenous organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration”; therefore, be it
Resolved #1 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) adopt as policy that historic sites and monuments in Canada be used to promote the principles of Truth and Reconciliation; and be it further
Resolved #2 that NCWC urge the Government of Canada to:
a. Direct the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to develop ways and means to communicate the principles of Truth and Reconciliation at historic sites and monuments;
b. Undertake steps to honour our country’s Indigenous heroes through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada;
c. Embark on a program of public education regarding the historical and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples to Canadian society through the development of new and updated historic sites and monuments.
d. Amend the Historic Sites and Monuments Act to include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis representation on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and its Secretariat.
e. Ensure gender balance.