The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations. The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The TRC was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.
The National Inquiry investigates and reports on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. They aim to examine the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical causes that contribute to the ongoing violence and particular vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Their mandate also directs them to look into and report on existing institutional policies and practices to address violence, including those that are effective in reducing violence and increasing safety.
Donald Marshall Jr, a Mi’kmaq from Nova Scotia, was wrongfully convicted of murder and given a life sentence. Marshall Jr was released after serving 11 years and one month, and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal acquitted him on the grounds that “no reasonable jury could, on the evidence, find Donald Marshall, Jr. guilty of the murder.” The conviction and subsequent acquittal triggered a Royal Commission to investigate the case and the administration of justice in Nova Scotia.
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) was established by Order in Council on August 26, 1991, and it submitted in October 1996 the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The RCAP was mandated to investigate and propose solutions to the challenges affecting the relationship between Aboriginal peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis Nation), the Canadian government and Canadian society as a whole.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission is Canada's human rights watchdog. Its works for the people of Canada and operates independently from the Government. The Commission helps ensure that everyone in Canada is treated fairly, no matter who they are. They are responsible for representing the public interest and holding the Government of Canada to account on matters related to human rights.