Having read a number of books about reconciliation (in the Canadian/Indigenous context), True Reconciliation tops the list of titles I would recommend on the subject. Wilson-Raybould presents a reconciliation framework of learning, understanding, and acting. Learning material is presented in an 'oral' history format to which the reader is called to be witness. Understanding digests the learning into two 'tracks.' Track one is comprised of socio-economic issues and track two focuses on Indigenous rights (the lack of which being root cause of track one). Understanding is fundamental to acting, and acting (described as a marathon, not a sprint) is broken into three sub groups which challenge (ourselves and others), elevate (shared understanding of the historic and current reality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada) and advance (iterative future-focused relationship building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples). True Reconciliation is an excellent resource that deserves to be widely read. -rs ( )

Having read a number of books about reconciliation (in the Canadian/Indigenous context), True Reconciliation tops the list of titles I would recommend on the subject. Wilson-Raybould presents a reconciliation framework of learning, understanding, and acting. Learning material is presented in an 'oral' history format to which the reader is called to be witness. Understanding digests the learning into two 'tracks.' Track one is comprised of socio-economic issues and track two focuses on Indigenous rights (the lack of which being root cause of track one). Understanding is fundamental to acting, and acting (described as a marathon, not a sprint) is broken into three sub groups which challenge (ourselves and others), elevate (shared understanding of the historic and current reality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada) and advance (iterative future-focused relationship building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples). True Reconciliation is an excellent resource that deserves to be widely read. -rs ( )

I had to ponder how best to review this one. Wilson-Raybould uses this as an opportunity to raise the reader's awareness of Canada's poor track record of Indigenous relations. This history of false motivations, broken promises and 'slow as molasses' government response to various court rulings in support of Indigenous rights is presented through first person statements (written historical records) made by key players in this history. This is Wilson-Raybould's legal background coming through in that she focuses on presenting the evidence, not trying to sway the reader to a certain point of view through just an expression of opinion. Many Canadians of a certain age group (like me) never learned much at school about the history of Canadian Indigenous relations beyond isolated events like the Metis uprising in the Red River Rebellion of 1869-70. For this reason, I really appreciate the time Wilson-Raybould has taken to compile the statements and information to present both sides as a chronological timeline of events. Maybe a little dry reading, but I appreciated the fact that I was able to read the opinions of various Indigenous Chiefs and got through that a better appreciation for the hurt, frustration and societal damage the Canadian policies had on the Indigenous communities and their way of life.

With the historical foundation established, Wilson-Raybould delves into a tough topic: understanding what true reconciliation is. This is complex, as not all Indigenous Peoples agree on what true reconciliation means to them but the point Wilson-Raybould makes is that true reconciliation can not happen until there is dialogue, consensus and action that leads to lasting change. Again, Wilson-Raybould does not try to drive the reader to a specific action or outcome. Instead, she focuses on how true reconciliation is supposed to take people outside of their comfort zones and lead them to make changes that are impactful, meaningful and lasting. This can be anything from volunteering or taking part in First Nations events that are open to the the public to creating a safe space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous can meet. I was very happy the author briefly tackled a topic that I have pondered a fair bit over the past few years: how impactful and meaningful are visible actions like removing a statue or renaming a building/street as an act of reconciliation? My impression is that these actions are 'low-hanging political fruit', something that governments can do to signal reconciliation while not actually doing any of the challenging transformative changes we need. Wilson-Raybould seems to concur and mentions how these actions can backfire and actually do more harm. As my local city council learned, making decisions in a vacuum based on input from only a select few individuals can blow up in the form of public outcry that no public consultation was ever undertaken, so, a cautionary tale.

Overall, A book well worth reading for anyone who wants to understand more about Canada's broken path of Indigenous relations and how everyone in the community can help make a difference, in their own way.

Favourite quote in the book is one from the Right Honorable Mary Simon, Canada's first and current Indigenous Canadian Governor General:

"I firmly believe that this story will increasingly be "our" story. Of change that is increasingly advanced together, with increasingly common visions and goals. Of change that reflects not only true reconciliation, but a revitalized vision of Canada. And the predominant voices in the story will be of Canadians from all walks of life and backgrounds, expressing how they asked what they could do and came to understand what action they can take, and illustrating how they acted and had an impact. Will your voice be part of that story?"

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