Question Period Note: Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Call to Action 17

IRCC Implementation of Call to Action 17 – June 14, 2021

• Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is fundamental to nation-building in Canada.

• IRCC’s approach to the reclaiming of Indigenous names is consistent with that laid out in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 17.

• It calls upon all levels of government to enable residential school survivors and their families to reclaim their Indigenous names on official identity documents, such as passports, driver’s licences, health cards, status cards and social insurance cards, for free for a period of 5 years.

• While Call to Action 17 identifies passports, IRCC expanded the list of official documents to include permanent resident cards, citizenship certificates and other travel documents not only for residential school survivors and their families but for all Indigenous peoples.

• CTA 17 asks “all levels of government to enable residential school Survivors and their families to reclaim names changed by the residential school system by waiving administrative costs for a period of five years for the name-change process and the revision of official identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, status cards, and social insurance numbers.”

• The rationale for broadening the scope of CTA 17 to all travel documents as well as permanent resident cards and citizenship certificates was to ensure IRCC does not exclude potential clients, as some Indigenous people whose Canadian ancestors underwent an imposed name change may not have been born in Canada.

• Permanent resident cards would capture US-residing descendants of residential school survivors living in cross-border communities. Including citizenship certificates would allow Canadian Indigenous people to apply for a certificate with their reclaimed name.

• Passport: Clients requesting a replacement passport, or other travel document to update their name, will be required to submit the new foundational identity document (birth certificate or citizenship certificate), or a legal name change document. Other supporting identity documents, such as a driver’s license or health card, are used to validate the identity of the individual.

• Citizenship: Clients requesting a replacement citizenship certificate will need to submit a simple form, in addition to regularly required documents. For those unable to obtain provincial/territorial documents in their reclaimed name, a statutory declaration is required.

• Permanent Residents: Clients requesting a permanent resident card with a reclaimed name will need to provide supporting legal documents (such as a legal name change) and supporting identity documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES

• IRCC’s approach is in alignment with provinces and territories who have implemented formal CTA 17 processes to update birth certificates, driver’s licenses and health cards at no cost to applicants.

• IRCC will also allow applicable foreign-born descendants of residential school survivors to request the use of their reclaimed name on official identity documents.

• IRCC engage key national Indigenous organizations on the plans and approach to implement CTA 17; which received positive feedback and support.

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