The long road to reconciliation
In 1996, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples issued a roadmap for transforming the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown.
The majority of its recommendations were never implemented. But its findings “opened people’s eyes and changed the conversation about the reality for Aboriginal people in this country,” the Truth & Reconciliation Commission later wrote.
In 2016, Canada declared its full support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination, language, equality and land, among others.
Despite some progress, however, the issues identified more than 20 years ago remain a pressing concern. As Canada prepares to mark National Aboriginal Day on June 21, here is a snapshot of the community.
Source: Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: First Nations People, Métis and Inuit, 2011 National Household Survey, Statistics Canada.
