All Truth, No Reconciliation

Monday, September 29, 2025

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a recommendation made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Walrus recognizes the importance of reflecting on the legacy of residential schools and the experiences of Indigenous peoples and nations across Canada. The Walrus will be closed to recognize the day.

This year, seven writers contributed essays marking ten years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. They explore the Canadian government’s broken promises, child welfare, economic development, and the Land Back movement.

These stories play a part in the ongoing journey toward justice for the victims and survivors of residential schools. We invite you to not just read these stories, and others by our contributors, but to carry their lessons forward, recognizing that truth and reconciliation require continuous commitment from all of us.

The Stark Reality Ten Years after the Truth and Reconciliation Report

“We have to wonder: should we just abandon ‘reconciliation’ altogether?”

BY MICHELLE CYCA

Canada’s Resounding Failure to Fully Embrace the Truth of Residential Schools

Government inaction and denialism are thwarting action

BY MICHELLE GOOD

There Are More Indigenous Children in Care Now than at the Height of Residential Schools

Reconciliation simply cannot occur when children and families continue to suffer

BY ANNA MARY MCKENZIE

Indigenous Priorities Are Just a Checkbox When It Comes to Economic Development

Corporations co‐opt language from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to justify extraction

BY JANELLE LAPOINTE

The Missing Indigenous Women Canada Refuses to See

Canada advocates for women’s rights in the global sphere. What about violence at home?

BY EVA JEWELL

A Fundamental Aspect of Reconciliation: Giving Back Stolen Land

Governments would rather establish national holidays and rename buildings than address restitution

BY RILEY YESNO

How Media Can Help Bring Indigenous Traditions Back to Life

Why Indigenous storytelling is essential to counter erasure and reclaim history

BY JULIAN BRAVE NOISECAT

A MESSAGE FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Canadian Time Machine returns with an episode exploring the legacy of Treaty 5. “Treaty is powerful. It’s not just a document or an agreement of the past. It’s a living agreement,” says Cree lawyer and advocate Deanne Kasokeo.

Also called the Winnipeg Treaty, it shaped more First Nation communities than any other in Canada. Kasokeo reflects on her family’s history and her grandmother’s teachings, while Chief Maureen Brown of Opaskwayak Cree Nation shares how colonial policies continue to affect communities today and why she remains hopeful for the future.

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