Residential School Apology

Register to read the introduction… He apologized for the role of the government in the residential schools. In the apology, Harper recognized that the residential schools were wrong, harmful and damaging to the students. Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion, NDP leader, Jack Layton and Bloc Québecois leader, Gilles Duceppe also made statements apologizing for the residential schools. The aboriginal community accepted the apology through speeches from former students. The government will fund a Commemoration initiative with a total of $20 million over 5 years, they gave The Aboriginal Healing Foundation $125 million in compensation for the human rights violations that the aboriginal students suffered. The churches who were involved in the administration of the residential schools will give up to $100 million in cash and services to aid healing initiatives and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was founded to examine the legacy of the residential schools.

DIFFERENCES

Then: The global community believed that the government and the church were doing the right thing by assimilating the first nations people. They believed that educating them in residential schools would 'civilize' them and save them by forcing them to become Christians.

Now: The Anglican Church, the Catholic Church and the government have all formally apologized for their role in the abuse the children suffered in the residential schools. They recognized that the residential schools were wrong and caused great harm, as well recognizing the negative consequences of the