A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission
In the past year, the Government of Canada has established the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to address the deleterious effect that the IRS system has had on Aboriginal communities. This paper argues that the TRC as an alternative dispute resolution mecha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Western Ontario
2010-05-01
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| Series: | International Indigenous Policy Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=iipj |
| _version_ | 1818282965929558016 |
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| author | Marc A. Flisfeder |
| author_facet | Marc A. Flisfeder |
| author_sort | Marc A. Flisfeder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the past year, the Government of Canada has established the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to address the deleterious effect that the IRS system has had on Aboriginal communities. This paper argues that the TRC as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism is flawed since it focuses too much on truth at the expense of reconciliation. While the proliferation of historical truths is of great importance, without mapping a path to reconciliation, the Canadian public will simply learn about the mistakes of the past without addressing the residual, communal impacts of the IRS system that continue to linger. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission must therefore approach its mandate broadly and in a manner reminiscent of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples of 1996. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:29:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33ef955db74b4df195afd64a947dc54d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1916-5781 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:29:24Z |
| publishDate | 2010-05-01 |
| publisher | University of Western Ontario |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Indigenous Policy Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-33ef955db74b4df195afd64a947dc54d2022-12-22T00:05:22ZengUniversity of Western OntarioInternational Indigenous Policy Journal1916-57812010-05-01113A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth CommissionMarc A. FlisfederIn the past year, the Government of Canada has established the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to address the deleterious effect that the IRS system has had on Aboriginal communities. This paper argues that the TRC as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism is flawed since it focuses too much on truth at the expense of reconciliation. While the proliferation of historical truths is of great importance, without mapping a path to reconciliation, the Canadian public will simply learn about the mistakes of the past without addressing the residual, communal impacts of the IRS system that continue to linger. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission must therefore approach its mandate broadly and in a manner reminiscent of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples of 1996.http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=iipjAlternative Dispute ResolutionIndian Residential SchoolTruth and Reconciliation Commission |
| spellingShingle | Marc A. Flisfeder A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission International Indigenous Policy Journal Alternative Dispute Resolution Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
| title | A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission |
| title_full | A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission |
| title_fullStr | A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission |
| title_short | A Bridge to Reconciliation: A Critique of the Indian Residential School Truth Commission |
| title_sort | bridge to reconciliation a critique of the indian residential school truth commission |
| topic | Alternative Dispute Resolution Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
| url | http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=iipj |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcaflisfeder abridgetoreconciliationacritiqueoftheindianresidentialschooltruthcommission AT marcaflisfeder bridgetoreconciliationacritiqueoftheindianresidentialschooltruthcommission |