Truth and Reconciliation: A Refugee Perspective

Photo credit: Canva.com, A new beginning, an orange sunrise.

By Saffina Jinnah

“Did you hear about the graves?” my mom asked back in June of 2021. She went on to express her utter shock, disbelief, and disgust. However, for many of us, Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous people alike, this came as no surprise.

If Canadians are only now learning of the fatal legacy of the residential school system, it is not due to the lack of evidence. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirmed, “Many, if not most, of the several thousand children who died in residential schools are likely to be buried in unmarked and untended graves. Subjected to institutionalized child neglect in life, they have been dishonoured in death.”

This has never really been a secret. The federal government has openly acknowledged the high rates of student mortality in residential schools and there was never a formal policy on how to handle deaths. Though it is not entirely clear if cemeteries and burial grounds were part of the design of residential schools, many had their own designated areas. And these areas grew over time as death became more common and the government refused to send bodies home.

The truth.

I did not learn about Indigenous history until I attended post-secondary education, and such courses were a choice not a requirement. I was shocked. And of course, this shock seeped into my everyday life, including that of my mother’s and her interest and concern has only grown. This continues today as many newcomers only learn of our real history through their school-aged children, if they have any.

When I talk about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada with my family, they always seem conflicted. They do not want the blame or burden of colonization yet acknowledge that they benefit from the colonial systems that continue to exist today. I think for my mother and my family and immigrant communities in general, they may perhaps empathize more given the circumstances in which they arrived in this country.

The reality. Theirs and ours.

Like many newcomers to Canada, they were escaping violence and persecution. In my mother’s case, she, along with all Asians of Uganda, was expelled in 1972 by dictator Idi Amin. They were given 90 days to leave their home country. Any businesses, agricultural estates, properties, homes, and all assets were confiscated. As many newcomers to Canada have too experienced the horrors of imperialism and colonial power, they have some awareness of the impact this may have on a community and therefore more readily align with Indigenous people once they have the history and knowledge of Canada.

For my mom, a refugee from East Africa and as a person of colour in Canada, there was a lot to learn about and from Indigenous culture and history so that her ideas of Canada as a country were not solely dependent on settler colonial imaginations and perspectives. And while she may share in our collective shame and disgust, this has proven challenging not only for her but for other newcomers to Canada as well.

This is likely due to the lack of institutional resources that are immediately available to immigrants. Given the many challenges my mom and her family faced when arriving here, including financial, social, and cultural constraints, learning about Indigenous peoples of the land may have unconsciously taken a backseat, as is likely the case today. This is perhaps a gap that we as a broader society need to fill.

Learning.

The citizenship test is one opportunity in which newcomers can learn about Canadian history. However, the Discover Canada guide, which is the general guide recommended to newcomers to study for the citizenship test, has not been updated since 2012. Though the section on Canadian history briefly reflects on the impact of European settlers, the first four words of this section states, "When Europeans explored Canada..." Such wording does not only hide the truth from new Canadians, but it also blatantly lies.

Europeans colonized Canada and its Indigenous inhabitants, and this has recently been recognized as genocide. Furthermore, the only paragraph that speaks to residential school reads, “The schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship on the students; some were physically abused. Aboriginal languages and cultural practices were mostly prohibited,” once again minimizing the horrific, true, and lasting impact residential schools have had on generations of Indigenous Peoples.

Indeed, Call to Action 93 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls on federal authorities, in collaboration with Indigenous organizations, to review “the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including information about the Treaties and the history of residential schools.”

Additionally, Call to Action 94 calls upon the Government of Canada to replace the Oath of Citizenship with the following, “I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.”

Of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015, eight years ago, only thirteen calls to action have been completed. In the wake of the discovery of the unmarked graves, Leah Gazan, an NDP MP, moved for the federal government to recognize the history of Canada’s residential schools as genocide and the motion received unanimous consent. Perhaps the dial is moving. Maybe political will has been renewed and is shifting.

Truth before reconciliation.

My mom has now been in Canada for just over 50 years and is only just learning about the atrocities, injustices, and genocide of Indigenous people. She has worked in different fields in her time here including healthcare, real estate, administration, and senior care. Understanding the history of Canada and its implications are relevant to everyday life, including our professional life. This knowledge impacts how you interact with people, how you support people, and how you serve people. Only now is she noting the inequities in hiring, promotion, and general representation in any of her workplaces.

As am I.

I really came to understand these realities in my adult life at my current place of work. The work that is required to shift mindsets and policies in professional settings, in government, and in our personal lives is immense but attainable. We have more in common than that which divides us. We must accept all aspects of Canadian history. Truth before reconciliation.

Saffina Jinnah is a brown girl living in Vancouver, BC. A first generation Canadian, her parents are from Uganda. In her day-to-day life she works in non-profit funding, is an active volunteer, and loves to read in coffee shops sipping something over-sweetened and over-caffeinated. You can read more of her writing at Confessions of a Brown Girl.