Indigenous Watchdog (IW) aggregates a vast repository of curated data from multiple sources across Canada to track and report on what is happening with reconciliation – good and bad! What is working and what is not?
The question for a lot of users is where to start and how to navigate the information to find the answers you are looking for?
If you’re in a hurry, use the SEARCH function to gather relevant details on any number of issues. Type in any subject, theme, person, organization – including Indigenous words – to yield immediate results from throughout the IW site.
The two fastest ways to see ALL 94 TRC Calls to Action (C2A):
- TRC Calls to Action Status: m/d/y
- 6-page post pinned to the top of the “Perspectives” Landing Page and accessible from the Top Menu Bar, updated every 6-8 weeks. Also accessible from the bottom of the Home Page via the link to the “TRC Calls to Action Status: m/d/y“
- 4 page colour-coded Table listing all 94 Calls to Action: which stakeholder is accountable for what outcome and their current status as of that date: Complete (✔), Not Started (RED), Stalled (YELLOW) and In Progress (GREEN)
- 2 pages of Tables identifying how many and which Calls to Action are Complete, Not Started and Stalled
- 6-page post pinned to the top of the “Perspectives” Landing Page and accessible from the Top Menu Bar, updated every 6-8 weeks. Also accessible from the bottom of the Home Page via the link to the “TRC Calls to Action Status: m/d/y“
- “Explore All Calls to Action”
- Accessible from “Calls to Action” on the Top Menu Bar or from the “Home” page by clicking the “Learn More” button under the Status Bar colour wheel
- This one page allows you to navigate through ALL 22 C2A Themes and see the current status of ALL 94 C2A. See “Explore All Calls to Action” below for details
The intent of the website’s design is to allow users multiple ways to navigate the site and access information depending on your specific needs, time constraints, objectives and the level of detail required. For example, these are four examples of different user needs with varying degrees of access requirements:
- Quick snapshot: What’s happening with the TRC and reconciliation right now?
- Brief Overview: What are some key measures to track progress on various Calls to Action (C2A) and view summaries of their current status?
- Theme and/or C2A Deep Dive: Explore any one of the 29 themes to access much more detail on each one (see details under “Call to Action Theme Landing Page” and “Call to Action Landing Page” below
- Current Problem Deep Dive: Explore any of the 94 “Current Problems” (so far) organized under “Call to Action Theme” landing pages and the “Other Issues” landing pages. See below for list of all 94 Current Problems
Indigenous Watchdog has organized and presented the information to allow you to pick and choose how deep you want to go. What follows is a listing of six key sections identifying the organizational structure for the information and its relevance. Glancing at the descriptions of the contents under each section below you can decide where and how to navigate the site based to some degree on the user profiles above.
- Who’s doing what to advance reconciliation and who isn’t? Status Updates as of m/d/y
- Home Page
- Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation
- Explore ALL Calls to Action
- Calls to Action
- Other Issues
Who’s doing what to advance reconciliation and who isn’t? Status Updates as of m/d/y
This recurring post under “Perspectives” on the Top Menu Bar delivers a macro-level view of what is working and what is not in reconciliation and delivers a quick and easy view of how reconciliation is actually working in reality. Each post is basically an audit trail of everything that has been posted across all 29 Themes in Indigenous Watchdog roughly every 6-8 weeks.
This five minute read roughly every two months will be quite informative and insightful in succinctly highlighting what is happening across the country: one line sentences of actions and/or commitments, problems, successes and potential solutions across multiple themes. Of course, each one of the updates can be read for much more detail by navigating to the section to which it applies.
What’s Included?
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bar Graph | Trending % of C2A Stalled and Not Started: Sept. 15, 2019 (43%) through Aug. 20, 2022 (35%) – even after 7+ years |
| 2 | C2A Status Updates | How many and which C2A are Not Started, Stalled, In Progress and Complete? Also identifies what % |
| 3 | Status Change | How many and which C2As have changed status since the last update? This is where progress is mostly measured as the impact is immediate |
| 4 | Indigenous Watchdog Updates | Includes a table highlighting a statistical count tracking how many changes have been registered across ALL of Indigenous Watchdog since 2020. Status updates identify how many positive actions and/or commitments stakeholders have made to advance reconciliation PLUS how many negative actions (Current Problems) stakeholders have taken that are impeding reconciliation across ALL themes. Sections include: * Current Reality * Current Problems * Legacy C2As * Reconciliation C2As * Govt Commitments * Other Issues * Indigenous Success Stories Each entry identifies Theme and/or C2A, Date, C2A summary, location within IW and one sentence describing the update. C2A details do not apply to”Other Issues”. |
“Home Page” on Top Menu Bar
The Home page is the launch pad to a number of the main sections of Indigenous Watchdog:
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Status Colour Wheel | A quick glimpse into the colour-coded % completion of all 94 C2A. What % are Complete (BLUE), Not Started (RED), Stalled (YELLOW) or In progress (GREEN). Click on each status to reveal the current % for each category |
| 2 | Explore All Calls to Action | Click “Learn More” under the colour wheel of status updates to access a one-page view to access ALL 94 Calls to Action via the 22 Themes. Click each theme to expose all C2As related to that theme. See “Explore All Calls to Action” below for details.This page is also accessible from the “Calls to Action” Top Menu Bar as “Explore All Calls to Action“ |
| 3 | Featured Updates | Highlights the 10 most recent and important details from articles, news stories and other sources across ALL themes. A good way to stay current on what is happening NOW |
| 4 | Government Commitments | A macro-level distinctions-based view of federal, provincial and territory actions and commitments to each of First Nations, Métis and Inuit. See below for details |
| 5 | Perspective Posts | Link to TRC Calls to Action Status Updates: m/d/y: 4-page colour coded summary of status of ALL 94 C2A plus lists of all C2A: Completed, Not Started or Stalled. Identifies in one line for each C2A who is accountable (Stakeholder) for what outcome (C2A) |
Government Commitments to Truth Reconciliation
This section highlights each level of government (federal, provincial and territory) over-all commitment to Truth and Reconciliation by identifying and reporting on what specific actions and commitments each level of government ) has made to each of First Nations, Métis and Inuit as well as the negative actions that have created roadblocks.
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current Reality | What does the UN Human Rights Index reveal about the huge gap in living standards between Indigenous people and the rest of Canada |
| 2 | Featured Updates | Highlights the 10 most recent and important updates from articles, news stories and other sources specifically for Government Commitments |
| 3 | Government Commitments | Highlights all the positive actions and commitments made by all levels of government that can be explored by Stakeholder (federal, provincial and territory governments) or by Indigenous Group (First Nations, Metis or Inuit) |
| 4 | Current Problems | What negative actions are governments taking that are creating roadblocks to reconciliation for each of the Indigenous groups. Explore by Stakeholder of by Theme |
| 5 | Background Information | Relevant background information to provide additional context for a theme or historical perspective |
| 6 | Indigenous Success | Identifies Indigenous individuals, organizations, advocacy groups etc. whose success exemplifies Indigenous leadership, resiliency and success in each of the respective theme sections |
“Explore All Calls to Action” under “Calls to Action” on Top Menu Bar
This sub-menu under the “Calls to Action” Top Menu Bar offers a one page view to scan ALL 94 Calls to Action without having to leave the page or navigate to other pages to access information. Go to this page if you want a quick view of the current status of all 94 Calls to Action and view an Infographic that delivers key metrics tracking how reconciliation for that theme is progressing or not.
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TRC Documentation | Links to Principles of Reconciliation, Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action as well as to ALL volumes of the Truth and Reconciliation Final Report |
| 2 | Featured Updates | Highlights the 10 most recent and important updates from articles, news stories and other sources for ALL C2A Themes. A good way to stay current on what in a specific theme right NOW |
| 3 | % Status | Colour-coded line graph depicting the % of C2A that are either Completed (BLUE), Not Started (RED), Stalled (YELLOW) or In Progress (GREEN) |
| 4 | 94 Calls to Action List | Click each theme to expose all C2A related to that theme. Themes under Legacy C2A and “Other Issues” also have an Infographic with relevant tracking metrics. Identifies C2A, C2A status, and a link to “Learn More”. Link to “Reconciliation” exposes a list of all 15 Themes. Select each theme to expose relevant C2As, C2A status, and a link to “Read More” |
“Calls to Action Theme” Landing Page
Each of the 22 C2A “Theme” Landing Pages follow the same basic format and gather and present information relevant to each particular theme.
| 1 | Infographic | All the Legacy Calls to Action and most of the “Other Issues” have an Infographic with tracking metrics charting how that C2A is progressing – or not. |
| 2 | Current Reality | A brief snapshot of relevant details, often from multiple sources, to paint a realistic picture of what the current status for that specific theme based on actions taken or problems encountered |
| 3 | C2A Status | A one-line listing for each C2A identifying stakeholder and expected outcome, current status and a link to “Learn More” or “Read More” for more details specific to that Call to Action. See detailed “Call to Action Landing Page” description identifying all sections below |
| 4 | Featured Updates | A list of the 10 most important updates across all C2A for that specific “Theme” |
| 5 | Current Problems | What negative actions are government and other stakeholders taking that are creating roadblocks to reconciliation for each particular theme. There are currently 66 “Problems/Issues identified across all the C2A that can be explored by Stakeholder or by Theme |
| 6 | Background Content | Relevant background information to provide additional context for a theme or historical perspective |
| 7 | Indigenous Success Stories | Identifies Indigenous individuals, organizations, advocacy groups etc. whose success exemplifies Indigenous leadership, resiliency and success in each of the respective theme sections |
“Calls to Action” Landing Page
Each of the “Calls to Action” follow the same organizing principles and structure to establish consistency in the way the information is presented.
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C2A Description | A complete description of the Call to Action as expressed in the TRC Summary Report |
| 2 | Why “Not Started”, “Stalled” “Complete” or “In Progress” | A brief objective explanation of the current status based on the detailed evidence presented for each C2A as to why that specific C2A is either Complete (BLUE), Not Started (RED), Stalled (YELLOW) or In Progress (GREEN). Also identifies dates for the current status as well as that of the previous |
| 3 | Latest Updates | Highlights the 10 latest updates by date for that specific Call to Action |
| 4 | Actions and Commitments | Hundreds of positive actions and commitments delivered and/or made by all stakeholders who are accountable for specific C2A outcomes sorted by jurisdiction (Federal, Provincial and Territory governments) and all other stakeholders. Can be explored by Stakeholder or by Theme |
| 5 | Background Information | Relevant background information to provide additional context for a theme or historical perspective |
“Other Issues” Landing Page
Each of the “Other Issues” do not have a specific Call to Action dedicated to them although they are referenced throughout the TRC Final Report and in a number of the Calls to Action as part of a larger narrative. As such theses Theme do not have a specific C2A description or a “Status Update” associated with them. Their over-all structure is quite similar to the “C2A Theme” Landing Page
| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Issues Sub-Menu | Sub-menu lists seven additional Issues: Food Insecurity, Drinking Water Advisories, Suicide Prevention, Housing, Environment, Urban Commitments to Reconciliation and Treaties and Land Claims |
| 2 | Infographic | Food Insecurity, Drinking Water Advisories, Suicide Prevention and Urban Commitments ALL have an Infographic depicting why these areas are of particular concern |
| 3 | Current Reality | A brief snapshot of relevant details, often from multiple sources, to paint a realistic picture of what the current status is for that specific “Other Issues” theme |
| 4 | Featured Updates | A listing the 10 most important updates across all the “Other Issues” arranged by most recent date |
| 5 | Current Problems | What negative actions are government and other stakeholders taking that are creating roadblocks to reconciliation for each particular “Other Issues” theme |
| 6 | Background Information | Relevant background information to provide additional context or historical perspective for a theme |
| 7 | Indigenous Success Stories | Identifies Indigenous individuals, organizations, advocacy groups etc. whose success exemplifies Indigenous leadership, resiliency and success in each of the respective theme sections |
Current Problems and Issues (94 in total)
| Legacy Calls to Action (28) | Reconciliation Calls to Action (38) | Other Issues (25) |
|---|---|---|
| Child Welfare Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Bill C-92 Jordan’s Principle Court Challenges Government and Institutional Issues | UNDRIP Indigenous opposition to UNDRIP Bill C-15 Action Plan Problems with BC UNDRIP Bill Provincial Opposition Federal Conservative opposition | Food Insecurity Food Insecurity Strategies Food Insecurity reports |
| Education Indigenous History Curriculum Revisions Education Initiatives Systemic Racism Misleading Update Information | Nat’l Council for Reconciliation Lack of updates on C2A Misleading Update Information | Urban Commitments Yellowknife Indigenous role Systemic Racism in Montreal |
| Language and Culture Concern about Québec’s Bill 96 Inuktitut Language Issues Language and Treaty Rights Nunavut Education Update Objections to Bill C-92 Cultural Appropriation | Professional Dev. for Civil Servants PSAC Issues with Federal Govt. | Drinking Water Advisories Long Term DWA Class Action Lawsuit Drinking Water Issues Drinking Water emergencies |
| Health Systemic Racism Ongoing Health Crisis COVID-19 Heath Care Reform | Church Apologies & Reconciliation Failure in Fund Raising Efforts Pope Francis Apology Indig. leader responses to apology Calls for Queen to apologize In-Kind Payments Misleading Update Information | Environment Specific Industry Env. Issues Environmental Impacts Climate Change Forest Management |
| Justice Systemic Racism in Policing Systemic Racism in the RCMP Federal and Provincial Justice Inquiries Legislative Issues Supreme Court Targeted Indigenous groups | Youth and Reconciliation Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2019 | Housing Indigenous Housing Reports Homelessness Fire Protection on reserves Urban Indig. Housing Strategy |
| Museums and Archives Outdated Prime Minister Biographies Systemic Racism | Suicide Prevention Suicide Prevention Plans States of Emergency No Child Left Behind Breaking Point: Suicide Crisis | |
| Missing Children & Burial Information Discoveries of unmarked graves Kamloops Residential School Appeal to Int’l Criminal Court Catholic Orgs refusal to give records Coroner’s reports Misleading Update Information | Treaties and Land Claims Land Claims Aboriginal Rights and Title Duty to Consult / FPIC Indigenous Governance Supreme Court | |
| Nat’l Centre for Truth and Reconcil. Catholic Orgs refusal to give records Residential School records Govt. commitments to provide records Misleading update information | Government Commitments First Nations Métis Inuit | |
| Commemoration PM Trudeau vacation on Sept. 30 Conservative senators kill legislation | ||
| Media and Reconciliation Media Protests and the RCMP Media transgressions | ||
| Sports and Reconciliation Mtl. Canadians Land Acknowledgment Iroquois Nationals passport issue Aboriginal Sports Circle snubbed | ||
| Business and Reconciliation Legislative and Institutional Barriers Individual Business issues Duty to Consult |