Canada Apologizes To Aboriginal Natives

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Said Poor Treatment Of Natives In Schools Was Dark Moment In Nation's History

(AP)  Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly apologized to native Canadians on Wednesday for the longtime government policy of taking aboriginal children away from their families and cultures.

In his historic speech, Harper said the treatment of children at the schools, where they often suffered from physical and sexual abuse, was a sad chapter in the country's history.

"We now recognize that it was wrong to separate children from rich and vibrant cultures and traditions, and that it created a void in many lives and communities and we apologize," he said in an address to Parliament televised live across Canada.

From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 aboriginal children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to strip them of their native culture and assimilate them into Canadian society.

"These institutions gave rise to abuse or neglect and were inadequately controlled and we apologize for failing to protect you," Harper said.

Hundreds of former students were invited to Ottawa to witness what native leaders say is a pivotal moment for Canada's more than 1 million aboriginals, who today remain the country's poorest and most disadvantaged group.

There are more than 80,000 surviving students of the schools.

Eleven aboriginal leaders watched the apology from the floor of the House of Commons and hundreds watched from the public gallery and from the front lawn of Parliament.

The apology came just months after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a similar gesture to the so-called Stolen Generations - thousands of the continent's Aborigines who were forcibly taken from their families as children under assimilation policies that lasted from 1910 to 1970.

[trishab4]

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[trishab4]

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[kretos-2009]

hypocrites

[rational_1]

What do these apologies really hope to accomplish? Their words seem so EMPTY.
Posted by anon00 at 03:39 AM : Jun 12, 2008

While it''s always struck me as stupid and meaningless to apologize to people not directly involved in the acts that led to the apology (egs. slavery and whacking the Neanderthals like you guys said), there are people alive in Canada today who were either forcibly removed from their homes or had their kids removed, and they clearly are owed an apology (and something a bit more tangible I should think). Typical government apology though... way late.

[erasmus81]

rushlimpdrug

"I said that I WORKED with the First Nations."

Actually you could say that I work FOR the First Nations.

[erasmus81]

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:15 PM : Jun 11, 2008

Like I said, you are an idiot.

"So you are a native of Canada?"

No, I am not.
Obvioulsy you can''t READ.
I said that I WORKED with the First Nations.

"(don''''t bother answering I already
know the answers)"

Are you kidding me?
You wouldn''t know your a-s-s from a whole in the ground.

[rushlimpdrug]

At least I am not an ignorant a-s-sh-le like you.
Posted by erasmus81 at 09:07 PM


coming from you it is a compliment.
So you are a native of Canada?
You speak a native tongue?
Or do you even bother with native
customs?

(don''t bother answering I already
know the answers)

[incog-nito]

downsteamjim: And I would like to apologize to humanity for the day your were born.

[downsteamjim]

I would like to take this time to apologize to the Neanderthals for what my ancestors did to them. I feel better already. Maybe I''ll go get a beer and celebrate my confession.

[erasmus81]

"You can start learning the English language now."

Oops, "isn''t" instead of "aren''t", blah, blah, blah.
If that is the only thing you can come up with, I am doing good. At least I am not an ignorant a-s-sh-le like you.

[erasmus81]

rushlimpdrug

Actually I came across another ignorant person like you awhile back. The said they bet we didn''t have First Nations people in our government, but YES, we do!

It is no wonder you have so many problems in your country, if it is full of people like you.

[rushlimpdrug]

I hope there isn''''t many like you in the States,
but I know there is.
Posted by erasmus81 at 08:57 PM


You can start learning the English language now.

[erasmus81]

rushlimpdrug

You are an idiot.

"You obviously do not know many native "Canadians".

You are wrong. I know many "First Nations" people.
I have worked with them for years. My children have worked with them and have volunteered and helped out with their PowWows and stuff.They consider them to be ugly, stupid and primitive.

"They consider them to be ugly, stupid and primitive."

That is YOU talking. I hope there isn''t many like you in the States, but I know there is. You are very ignorant.

"Know many well-educated native "Canadians"?"

As a matter of fact, I do. I do not believe I have ever come across anyone that isn''t.

Like I said before, America is living in the "dark ages".

You need to stick to something you know.

[rushlimpdrug]

Here we all live together, wherever.
Posted by erasmus81 at 06:18 PM


For sure you are not for real.

You obviously do not know many native "Canadians".

Few "Canadians" do.

They consider them to be ugly, stupid and primitive.

Know many well-educated native "Canadians"?

Really?

[floydzeppl]

Posted by libsluv2spit at 07:01 PM : Jun 11, 2008
---------

You must be a RepubliBumpkin. Aren''t you missing a Dale Earnhardt Hunior Tribute?

[robroyh390]

white americans hate each other too. Most americans hate everybody & everything.


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Posted by usmcvn2 at 06:57 PM : Jun 11, 2008
+ report abuse "

Good - cos pretty much everyone in the world hates americans

[questionnews]

Blame Canada
Blame Canada
With all their hockey hullabaloo
And that bit.ch Anne Murray too
Blame Canada
Shame on Canada
For...
The smut we must stop
The trash we must bash
The Laughter and fun
Must all be undone
We must blame them and cause a fuss
Before somebody thinks of blaming uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuus!!!!