Apology accepted?
Greetings readers.
It seems that in the last few years there has been a lot of talk about Residential Schools.
In June of 2008, Stephen Harper apologized to the First Nations on behalf of Canada. The audience included Aboriginal leaders and politicians, and the rest of Parliament.
Now, a couple of years later you may say, “wow a little late to be talking about this?” The truth is, though, that this was an historic event that has far-reaching implications. It could change the way we, as First Nations, live in this country. But it has only been a couple of years, and only time will tell with how things will change for us, good or bad.
Never before had Canada, at least on the federal level, expressed any concern or remorse over the assimilation and attempted genocide (you may correct me if I am wrong) that was a direct result of the residential school system. Never before had Native groups been so cautious and critical of the government, particularly the cold, robot-like Harper.
“For more than a century, Indian residential schools seperated over 150,000 Aboriginal children from their families and communities. Two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their home, families, traditions and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant cutlure” – a small quote from Harper’s apology speech.
Phil Fontaine, the National Chief at the time, was on hand to accept Harper’s apology and deliver his own speech. I’ve spent some time listening to this second speech, and I feel that in some ways, Fontaine accepted the apology on behalf of himself and for himself.
I’m not entirely sold on Harper’s apology, and I know that many others are not either. Many survivors of residential schools were also not satisfied with the timing of Canada’s apology.
I’ve never come close to suffering anything like what the survivors and those who died suffered, but I feel that Fontaine short sold us for his own personal needs.
Any thoughts? I am always up for discussion. My email is hbdjj@stu.ca, so feel free to email me your thoughts, questions, comments or complaints (put Native Issues in subject box) and I will get back to you as fast as I can.
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Oh and why are your articles online and NOT in the paper? You might wonder why the internet sux on campus, I’d barely have time to manage my time because all I do is try to figure out this pile of crap they call STU wireless. Like to see your work in the paper, if it has been, I must not see it, ie. I am blind.
Not sure on the year Parliament amended the Criminal Code section on Genocide, but they did so during the summer when the house of commons were out on vacation. What they did was change a few key words to their definition of genocide, it in fact to this day does not go hand in hand with the UN’s definition. This was done to protect themselves because it was an act of Genocide. A number of articles were omitted.
So, it was an apology but as Roland Chrisjohn said about that very thing, if you apologize you say you’re sorry, and that you’ll never do it again. Canada’s apology wasn’t one that was meaningful. And didn’t Harper say at a G8 meeting that there is no Colonialism in Canada’s History? Baahaha, what a dumb ass politician.
Not sure on the year Parliament amended the Criminal Code section on Genocide, but they did so during the summer when the house of commons were out on vacation. What they did was change a few key words to their definition of genocide, it in fact to this day does not go hand in hand with the UN's definition. This was done to protect themselves because it was an act of Genocide. A number of articles were omitted.
So, it was an apology but as Roland Chrisjohn said about that very thing, if you apologize you say you're sorry, and that you'll never do it again. Canada's apology wasn't one that was meaningful. And didn't Harper say at a G8 meeting that there is no Colonialism in Canada's History? Baahaha, what a dumb ass politician.
Oh and why are your articles online and NOT in the paper? You might wonder why the internet sux on campus, I'd barely have time to manage my time because all I do is try to figure out this pile of crap they call STU wireless. Like to see your work in the paper, if it has been, I must not see it, ie. I am blind.
Saying your sorry and actually being sorry are two very different things. Everyone is taught from a very young age that an apology is not an apology unless you specify exactly what you are sorry for. I heard no apology that day. I didn’t really expect one to be honest.
Saying your sorry and actually being sorry are two very different things. Everyone is taught from a very young age that an apology is not an apology unless you specify exactly what you are sorry for. I heard no apology that day. I didn't really expect one to be honest.
“Never before had Canada, at least on the federal level, expressed any concern or remorse over the assimilation and attempted genocide (you may correct me if I am wrong) that was a direct result of the residential school system.”
I would only correct you to say that the residential schools were a direct result and implement of Britain and Canada’s mostly successful genocide programs over the last few hundred years.
The numbers of murdered natives and amount of stolen land is truly mind boggling – and for some kleptocratic spokesman to get on TV and say he’s sorry, while first nations remain impoverished and targeted for subjugation via many avenues (legal system, policing, drug policy, medical policy, education) is unconscionable.
While we’d like to all get along and have everyone prosper – the reality is that the true crimes (against humanity) and suffering continue to a great extent, even if we no longer have overt rape and murder schools run under the auspices of self-proclaimed good and godly nation.
Just look at Canada’s votes against the UN declaration on aboriginal rights and you’ll see that the same system that would callously steal and murder aboriginal babies is unlikely to ever become anything but a menace against the rightful owners it it’s occupied lands.
"Never before had Canada, at least on the federal level, expressed any concern or remorse over the assimilation and attempted genocide (you may correct me if I am wrong) that was a direct result of the residential school system."
I would only correct you to say that the residential schools were a direct result and implement of Britain and Canada's mostly successful genocide programs over the last few hundred years.
The numbers of murdered natives and amount of stolen land is truly mind boggling – and for some kleptocratic spokesman to get on TV and say he's sorry, while first nations remain impoverished and targeted for subjugation via many avenues (legal system, policing, drug policy, medical policy, education) is unconscionable.
While we'd like to all get along and have everyone prosper – the reality is that the true crimes (against humanity) and suffering continue to a great extent, even if we no longer have overt rape and murder schools run under the auspices of self-proclaimed good and godly nation.
Just look at Canada's votes against the UN declaration on aboriginal rights and you'll see that the same system that would callously steal and murder aboriginal babies is unlikely to ever become anything but a menace against the rightful owners it it's occupied lands.