REGINA — A new national report is urging Canada’s universities to move beyond symbolic gestures and embed reconciliation into the very systems that govern higher education.
The summary report from the 2025 National Building Reconciliation Forum has just been released by the First Nations University of Canada and the University of Regina. The two-day forum, held May 14 and 15 in Regina, brought together more than 250 participants from nearly 60 post-secondary institutions across the country.
University presidents, Indigenous leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, scholars, students and community members met during the 10th anniversary year of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. The timing was intentional. A decade after the TRC’s final report, many institutions are still grappling with how to translate commitments into measurable change.
The forum’s theme, Responsibility as Reconciliation: Relational Accountability, shaped the conversations. The message captured in the new summary report is reconciliation is not an abstract ideal. It is a shared responsibility, and universities must be accountable for how they uphold it.
“The summary report reflects both the honesty and urgency of the conversations held during the forum,” said Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, president of the First Nations University of Canada. She said the report challenges institutions to embed Indigenous knowledges, governance structures and accountability mechanisms into the foundations of their universities rather than treating reconciliation as an add-on.
The report documents keynote addresses from residential school survivor Eugene Arcand and former Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners Dr. Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild. Their contributions, alongside insights from Elders, artists, scholars and students, reinforced that reconciliation must centre truth, lived experience and Indigenous leadership.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, released in 2015, included several directives aimed specifically at education. They called on post-secondary institutions to close education gaps, integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms, support Indigenous languages and build respectful relationships with Indigenous communities. Ten years later, the forum asked participants to assess what progress has been made and where gaps remain.
The summary report highlights that reconciliation in higher education must include ceremony, cultural practice and land-based learning as core components rather than symbolic acknowledgements. Participants emphasized that meaningful progress requires structural change in governance, hiring practices, curriculum design and research priorities.
A pre-conference day focused specifically on Indigenous senior leadership in universities. Discussions explored how Indigenous presidents, vice-presidents and administrators are reshaping institutions from within and what systemic barriers still exist. The report reflects those conversations alongside community-based learning experiences and governance-focused sessions held during the main forum.
Dr. Jeff Keshen, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina, said co-hosting the forum reinforced the responsibilities universities carry.
“The summary report provides key takeaways that will help us make meaningful changes in our institutions and work toward reciprocal, long-term relationships with Indigenous communities grounded in trust and respect,” he said.
The First Nations University of Canada, established in 1976, is the country’s only national First Nations-owned post-secondary institution. Its mandate centres on bridging ceremony, language, Knowledge Keepers and tradition with high-quality university education for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike.
The University of Regina, located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories and the homeland of the Métis Nation, serves more than 16,600 students and has publicly committed to advancing reconciliation through research, teaching and community partnership.
Universities Canada, which represents institutions across the country, has also identified reconciliation as a priority, recognizing that higher education plays a critical role in shaping public understanding and policy.
The new summary report is intended as a practical resource. It offers reflections, recommendations and guiding principles for institutions seeking measurable progress aligned with the TRC Calls to Action.
