Indigenous Reconciliation: What Students Should Know

Lucia Kwag
Dec 30, 2025
3 min read

Reconciliation is a word that appears often in classrooms, news, and public discussions. However, not many students know what it truly means. Indigenous reconciliation is to restore friendly relations with the Indigenous groups based on the recognition of rights, respect, and partnership.

Although this topic extends beyond a single country, this blog will focus on Canada. Examining Canada's relationship with Indigenous groups will allow us to better understand its historical roots, and present challenges and current policies.

A Brief History

Before Canada became a country, Indigenous peoples lived on this land for over thousands of years with their own distinct cultures, languages, and traditions. When the European settlers arrived, land was taken and treaties were often broken or ignored, so Indigenous communities were pushed aside.

One of the most notorious policies was the residential school system, which were operated over a century. Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools, where many experienced abuse and were forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their cultures. The government's goal was assimilation, forcing Indigenous children to abandon who they were and prepare to be a true Canadian.

Although the last residential school closed in 1966, the effects and traumas did not end. Their pain, loss of language, and disrupted families continue to affect generations today.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada Today

Indigenous groups are not just part of Canada's past; they are a vital part of its present. The First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples contribute to Canadian society through art, literature, culture, and military service.

Nevertheless, many Indigenous communities still face challenges that others in Canada may not experience at the same level. The challenges include inequalities in healthcare and education, higher rates of poverty and housing insecurity, loss of language and cultural resources, and limited access to drinking clean water.

At the same time, thankfully, Indigenous youth and leaders are actively working to revitalize culture, protect land, and advocate for their rights. As an illustration, Indigenous-led conservation efforts are demonstrating effective approaches to environmental stewardship and climate change mitigation. Indigenous-led preservation initiatives, such as Indigenous Guardian Programs, empower communities to actively manage and protect their traditional territories through direct monitoring and maintenance activities.

Ongoing Problems and Challenges

Although Indigenous youths and leaders put huge efforts, reconciliation is difficult as the effects of colonial policies are ongoing. Some major issues include:

Systemic inequality: Indigenous people often face discrimination in institutions like healthcare, education, and the justice system.
Land and resource disputes: Many conflicts arise from development on traditional Indigenous lands without proper consent.
Cultural loss: Languages and traditions were suppressed for decades and are still at risk today.

These problems are not accidental, but connected to past policies that have never been fully addressed.

Policies and Steps Toward Reconciliation

Canada has taken some steps toward reconciliation, even though some people argue they are not enough. One key moment was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), creating a legal settlement between Residential Schools Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the parties responsible for creation and operation of the schools: the federal government and the church bodies.

The TRC’s mandate was to inform all Canadians about what happened in residential schools. The TRC documented the truth of Survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience. This included First Nations, Inuit and Métis former residential school students, their families, communities, the churches, former school employees, government officials and other Canadians.

The TRC released *94 Calls to Action in 2015 and transferred its records to the safekeeping of National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).

*94 Calls to Action: https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

Conclusion: Why This Matters for Students

Students play an important role in reconciliation. Learning accurate history at secondary schools, listening to Indigenous voices, and challenging against stereotypes are meaningful first steps. Understanding Indigenous reconciliation helps students become more informed citizens and contributes to Canada that values truth, equity, and justice.