Canada has not always been the prime example of a human rights haven. From roughly 1884 to as late as 1996, the Canadian government operated so called “Indian Residential Schools”. In all, 150,000 native Canadian children belonging to various tribes were forcibly removed from their homes and taken to various residential schools across Canada in a savage attempt to assimilate them into Canadian society. The planned agenda was to teach them values of the Christian faith, and teach them how to read and write English; however many children were subject to severe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.2 Over 4,000 children died while attending the schools, and the vast majority of the survivors still suffer post traumatic stress disorder.
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For a prolonged period of time, next of kin’s for the victims wandered around Canada looking for the whereabouts of their loved ones and received not the slightest indication that someone was going to take responsibility for the mistreatment. Acknowledgement from the government reassures victims that the state cares for their protection, and sends the message that acts of abuse on part of anyone will not be tolerated, even if it is the state itself. After the apology given by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on June 11, 2008, and the creation of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, survivors reported that they were more likely to move on with their life, and appreciated the efforts made by the Canadian government to educate youth about the issue. With the creation of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, survivors now have the chance to share their stories and see that their sufferings are shared.6 All in all, the acceptance of responsibility by the government of Canada gave survivors and descendants the opportunity to remember victims, and lay their sorrow to …show more content…
Simply because representatives are changed over time does not mean newer representatives have immunity from responsibility. When an official takes oath of office they are tasked with the duties of their office, and any wrong done in the past is now their responsibility to correct. 8 The Canadian government today cannot turn its back on issues that it did not directly create. Imagine a world where a government only corrects mishaps directly attributed to it. The Prime Minister speaks for the government as a whole, not only his party in power at the current time. Simply because previous governments failed to do what they should have corrected long ago, does not mean the current administration should follow its footsteps. Relating to the residential schools, the Canadian government must take responsibility because it was the government who sanctioned the abuse. It is the duty of the government to correct its short comings, and residential schools should be its number one priority, considering the sensitive nature of the case.
To sum it all up, Native Canadian Residential Schools were a shameful part of Canadian history in which thousands of children were subject to severe abuse. However, correcting mistakes and being protectors of freedom and justice is
For a prolonged period of time, next of kin’s for the victims wandered around Canada looking for the whereabouts of their loved ones and received not the slightest indication that someone was going to take responsibility for the mistreatment. Acknowledgement from the government reassures victims that the state cares for their protection, and sends the message that acts of abuse on part of anyone will not be tolerated, even if it is the state itself. After the apology given by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on June 11, 2008, and the creation of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, survivors reported that they were more likely to move on with their life, and appreciated the efforts made by the Canadian government to educate youth about the issue. With the creation of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, survivors now have the chance to share their stories and see that their sufferings are shared.6 All in all, the acceptance of responsibility by the government of Canada gave survivors and descendants the opportunity to remember victims, and lay their sorrow to …show more content…
Simply because representatives are changed over time does not mean newer representatives have immunity from responsibility. When an official takes oath of office they are tasked with the duties of their office, and any wrong done in the past is now their responsibility to correct. 8 The Canadian government today cannot turn its back on issues that it did not directly create. Imagine a world where a government only corrects mishaps directly attributed to it. The Prime Minister speaks for the government as a whole, not only his party in power at the current time. Simply because previous governments failed to do what they should have corrected long ago, does not mean the current administration should follow its footsteps. Relating to the residential schools, the Canadian government must take responsibility because it was the government who sanctioned the abuse. It is the duty of the government to correct its short comings, and residential schools should be its number one priority, considering the sensitive nature of the case.
To sum it all up, Native Canadian Residential Schools were a shameful part of Canadian history in which thousands of children were subject to severe abuse. However, correcting mistakes and being protectors of freedom and justice is