Maggie Hodgson - Speaking My Truth

to the Aboriginal Working Caucus’s recommendation; he chose to listen to the
working caucus. 14 The caucus recommended that the selection for the chief
adjudicator and for all the adjudicators be made by all of the stakeholders,
including Survivors, Church entities, plaintiffs’ legal counsel, and Canada.
There was a traditional ceremony along with an Anglican blessing for the
ADR process and the chief adjudicator. People from all the stakeholder groups
participated in the blessing. Everyone either prayed or sang a song to celebrate
the occasion along with holding the usual feast. This is a traditional process
for choosing leaders. Within tradition, there is an agreement from the whole
group as to who is the best person to do the job; it is not a process based on
political patronage. One more step toward shared decision making. This is
collaborative law and an act of reconciliation and sharing of power.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects
and enhances the freedom of others.” 15
— Nelson Mandella
The freedom that Nelson Mandela speaks about was manifested when
government, the Assembly of First Nations, plaintiffs’ lawyers, and the
churches worked together to deal with the legal response to residential
schools. He could also have been speaking about the foundation we
laid with the increase in post-secondary enrolment and the creation
of community-driven alcohol and drug treatment. These are examples
of how we brought our strengths together to take responsibility for
individual and collective change.
The thirty years of work to prepare for this time of settlement has borne fruit,
and there has been excellent work done in reconciliation over that time. This
reconciliation embodies the traditional justice processes that have been
incorporated into government policies and practices. For example, if a former
student wants to have a traditional ceremony within their hearing, they are
supported to have the Elder of their choice present to conduct ceremony.
Elders are compensated for counselling and crisis support as any other
professionals are compensated. This took five years to achieve; however, it
was finally included within the structure of the hearings. One more step in
reconciliation and the work required to reverse the outlawing of ceremonies.
Family and Community Choices in Reconciliation: A Case Example
An Elder received his compensation, paid off his bills, and invested the rest
of his money into adding on to his home so his son and his family could live
with him. The family shared in the cost of the renovations. The Elder is in
a wheelchair and has many health challenges. He now has the benefit of
having family with him to ensure he is safe if he faces a health crisis. He has
From Truth to Reconciliation | 367