Apology on Residential Schools for Natives

[thetreble 19]

An article on the apology

How do you feel about this issue? I'm curious to know the opinions of my fellow Canadians.

[trailmix 77]

I think it's great that he made the apology. I also think that no apology can heal what was done.

That said, if it makes at least some of the people affected feel better, it's got to be a good thing.

[thetreble 19]

I'm also glad he made a sincere apology. However, I wonder when the bad feelings between our natives and the rest of canadians will go away? I also did not know there was a 350 million dollar healing fun set up years ago. Natives live free of tax and receive free education, as well as other incentives..however, it does seem like there are still many problems on reserves.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I think it is a good thing and long overdue. There are certainly problems on both sides of the issues, a lot exacerbated by 'personalities', but the issues are real. I hope now more people will be able to move forward and work on finding and implementing solutions to the problems rather than just keep going over and over and over the problems. (Again, this refers to those on both sides of the equation, not just one).

[Sprailenes 47]

We don't have that many incentives.

In order to get many things "tax free" you have to live on reserve BUT if you live on the reserve you have no money because there aren't any jobs. Many people think we get schooling for free too, also wrong....if your reserve has enough funding then sure, but many don't. I paid my way through college and so did my mother.

No this apology won't fix anything, an apology can't fix anything. Abuse comes in cycles and many who were abused in residential schools left and began to abuse themselves or their families. It really is a cycle that has to be broken by the individual.

Personally, as a native, I feel that moving on and focusing on the now is what is important. Focus on the now, but always remember the past, because its the past that has paved the way to the now. If that makes sense.

Its like you grow up hearing what happened to your ancestors, and you get angry but you don't know who to direct that anger to. For a long time (especially as a teenager) I had this complex, where I believed I was truly entitled because of all the hardships that was placed on my people. Then I realized I was just adding fire to the flames. It was pointless. Now i just try to educate people as best as possible.

Besides there are tons of problems in the world, many cultures and peoples have been wronged. You can only do so much, and nothing can take back what has been done in the past. All you can do is move to towards the future.

It was nice to get finally get an apology though, it was long overdue, my grandmother is dead and didn't get to hear it. Oh well I heard it for her.

[Cassie 8]

I think it's great that he made the apology. I also think that no apology can heal what was done.

That said, if it makes at least some of the people affected feel better, it's got to be a good thing.

I thought the apology and Phil Fontaine's response were both very moving. The apology was long overdue and I for one am glad that the government finally stood up and took responsibility.

And Sprailenes, that was a lovely post.

[MrsCat 6]

I'm an Aboriginal Canadian. I have been assigned a Indian Status # by the Canadian government since birth. I pay taxes - a lot of them. I paid for two university degrees. I have plenty of interpersonal problems - none of which are attributable to my race.

My grandparents both went to residential schools. Only my grandmother lived long enough to hear some sort of apology.

The 'bad feelings' will probably go away when uneducated people stop making claims about a culture and its "entitlements" that they perceive to exist.