Politicians, especially Conservative ones, talk a good game when it comes to notions of 'responsibility. All too often they hide behind a wall of lawyer's weasel words when it comes to actually accepting responsibility for wrongs past & present.
PM Harper is to be congratulated for his apology & for his willingness to pay compensation to victims of misguided state policies. Unfortunately Australia's government is yet to take that final step an a comprehensive way, though some state governments have done so.
It is easy to sneer at events like today's as 'gesture politics' etc. One only has to see the tears in the eyes of those directly impacted by these events to see that this was very important.
I believe that the mark of a modern, confident society is a willingness to publically acknowledge past wrongs & commit to learning from them. All nations have dark corners in their past. Grown up nations accept this, admit to it & apologize publically.
Congratulations Mr Harper & congtratulations Canada.
PM Harper is to be congratulated for his apology & for his willingness to pay compensation to victims of misguided state policies. Unfortunately Australia's government is yet to take that final step an a comprehensive way, though some state governments have done so.
It is easy to sneer at events like today's as 'gesture politics' etc. One only has to see the tears in the eyes of those directly impacted by these events to see that this was very important.
I believe that the mark of a modern, confident society is a willingness to publically acknowledge past wrongs & commit to learning from them. All nations have dark corners in their past. Grown up nations accept this, admit to it & apologize publically.
Congratulations Mr Harper & congtratulations Canada.
Harper Apologizes for Abuse of Canada's Aboriginals (Update3)
By Greg Quinn
June 11 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized today for a century of child abuse and assimilation policies at former government-run schools for aboriginals.
An estimated 150,000 children and youths were taken from their homes and forced to attend the schools, most of which closed in the 1970s. Survivors of the schools came from across Canada to attend the formal apology, and other parliamentary business was canceled.
``The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history,'' Harper said in a speech to Parliament in Ottawa. ``Far too often, these institutions gave rise to abuse or neglect and there were inadequate controls, and we apologize for failing to protect you.''
The statement comes two years after the government and churches that helped run the schools settled the country's largest-ever class-action lawsuit. The apology follows one by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in February, to the ``Stolen Generation'' of Aborigines who were taken from their families and forced to blend into society.
Europeans who created settlements in Canada around the start of the 17th century pushed aboriginals out over time, moving from policies based on cooperation to dominance and assimilation, a 1996 government-sponsored panel report said. Children were taken from their parents and isolated in ``Indian residential schools,'' forbidden to speak their own languages and, in many cases, beaten or sexually abused.
`New Dawn'
Harper was led into the legislature today by 104-year-old Marguerite Wabano, the oldest living former student to receive compensation from the government, and Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Ottawa-based Assembly of First Nations. Harper spoke for about 15 minutes, followed by opposition and aboriginal leaders.
``What happened today signified a new dawn in the relationship between us and the rest of Canada,'' said Fontaine, wearing a traditional feathered headdress. ``Together we can achieve the greatness our country deserves.''
Canada's government says it had a role in the schools as early as 1874, a relationship that wound down in the 1970s. The last such school was shut in 1996. About 130 of the schools operated over that span.
``I am sorry that Canada tried to erase your identity and your culture,'' said Stephane Dion, leader of the Liberal Party, the largest opposition bloc. ``I am sorry we took away your children.''
Class-Action Settlement
As of April there were 90,000 applications for compensation stemming from the class-action settlement, according to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The settlement allowed former students and their families to apply for a share of at least C$1.9 billion ($1.86 billion) that was awarded to victims.
Canada has about 1 million people who consider themselves part of the First Nations, a term used to describe aboriginals in the country, according to a 2006 census. Canada's current total population is about 33 million.
``This is a historic event -- finally Canada is standing up and taking responsibility,'' said Ted Quewezance, 55, executive director of the 50,000-member National Residential School Survivors' Society, said before the announcement. ``There has to be substance and follow-up,'' he said, including money to foster ``healthy communities and healthy families.''
Traumatic Memories
The memory of the schools still causes so much trauma for former students that the government's Web site includes a telephone hotline for people who break down when reading about or watching the apology. Grief has been passed on to children of former students, with 26 percent having suicidal thoughts by age 12 compared with 18 percent for other aboriginal youths, according to the Assembly of First Nations.
``Today is filled with incredibly strong emotions,'' said Shawn Atleo, British Columbia Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, who came to Ottawa today with his father to help comfort survivors who attended the ceremony.
Atleo, 41, said his father was placed in a residential school where his tongue was pricked with a needle because he wouldn't speak English. The apology ``alludes to the promise of a better future,'' he said.
Canada still has disputes with aboriginal peoples over unclean drinking water on reserves and land claims that remain unsettled after more than a century.
Harper's Conservative Party government is taking other steps to improve conditions. The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, responsible for providing most government services on reserves, spent a record C$10.2 billion on programs in the fiscal year that ended March 31.
To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Quinn in Ottawa at [email protected].
Last Updated: June 11, 2008 17:11 EDT
By Greg Quinn
June 11 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized today for a century of child abuse and assimilation policies at former government-run schools for aboriginals.
An estimated 150,000 children and youths were taken from their homes and forced to attend the schools, most of which closed in the 1970s. Survivors of the schools came from across Canada to attend the formal apology, and other parliamentary business was canceled.
``The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history,'' Harper said in a speech to Parliament in Ottawa. ``Far too often, these institutions gave rise to abuse or neglect and there were inadequate controls, and we apologize for failing to protect you.''
The statement comes two years after the government and churches that helped run the schools settled the country's largest-ever class-action lawsuit. The apology follows one by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in February, to the ``Stolen Generation'' of Aborigines who were taken from their families and forced to blend into society.
Europeans who created settlements in Canada around the start of the 17th century pushed aboriginals out over time, moving from policies based on cooperation to dominance and assimilation, a 1996 government-sponsored panel report said. Children were taken from their parents and isolated in ``Indian residential schools,'' forbidden to speak their own languages and, in many cases, beaten or sexually abused.
`New Dawn'
Harper was led into the legislature today by 104-year-old Marguerite Wabano, the oldest living former student to receive compensation from the government, and Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Ottawa-based Assembly of First Nations. Harper spoke for about 15 minutes, followed by opposition and aboriginal leaders.
``What happened today signified a new dawn in the relationship between us and the rest of Canada,'' said Fontaine, wearing a traditional feathered headdress. ``Together we can achieve the greatness our country deserves.''
Canada's government says it had a role in the schools as early as 1874, a relationship that wound down in the 1970s. The last such school was shut in 1996. About 130 of the schools operated over that span.
``I am sorry that Canada tried to erase your identity and your culture,'' said Stephane Dion, leader of the Liberal Party, the largest opposition bloc. ``I am sorry we took away your children.''
Class-Action Settlement
As of April there were 90,000 applications for compensation stemming from the class-action settlement, according to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The settlement allowed former students and their families to apply for a share of at least C$1.9 billion ($1.86 billion) that was awarded to victims.
Canada has about 1 million people who consider themselves part of the First Nations, a term used to describe aboriginals in the country, according to a 2006 census. Canada's current total population is about 33 million.
``This is a historic event -- finally Canada is standing up and taking responsibility,'' said Ted Quewezance, 55, executive director of the 50,000-member National Residential School Survivors' Society, said before the announcement. ``There has to be substance and follow-up,'' he said, including money to foster ``healthy communities and healthy families.''
Traumatic Memories
The memory of the schools still causes so much trauma for former students that the government's Web site includes a telephone hotline for people who break down when reading about or watching the apology. Grief has been passed on to children of former students, with 26 percent having suicidal thoughts by age 12 compared with 18 percent for other aboriginal youths, according to the Assembly of First Nations.
``Today is filled with incredibly strong emotions,'' said Shawn Atleo, British Columbia Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, who came to Ottawa today with his father to help comfort survivors who attended the ceremony.
Atleo, 41, said his father was placed in a residential school where his tongue was pricked with a needle because he wouldn't speak English. The apology ``alludes to the promise of a better future,'' he said.
Canada still has disputes with aboriginal peoples over unclean drinking water on reserves and land claims that remain unsettled after more than a century.
Harper's Conservative Party government is taking other steps to improve conditions. The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, responsible for providing most government services on reserves, spent a record C$10.2 billion on programs in the fiscal year that ended March 31.
To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Quinn in Ottawa at [email protected].
Last Updated: June 11, 2008 17:11 EDT
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