Globe and Mail: Once more, with feeling ... but will it make a difference?

[tuvor]

On Jan. 7, 1998, Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart, speaking on behalf of the government of Canada, expressed "our profound regret" not just for the establishment of residential schools, but for all the "past actions of the federal government" toward aboriginals.

As for the residential schools, Ms. Stewart said: "for those of you who suffered this tragedy, we are deeply sorry." The schools, she said, "should never have happened." A $350-million "healing fund" was announced to help turn the page.

The Globe and Mail editorial board "welcomed" the statement and the healing fund, as did most sensible people. "These statements are worth making in their own right," said the paper, " they are probably an indispensable step to something even more important: building a better future for aboriginal peoples."

Yesterday, however, the editorial board said that somehow the effort of 10 years ago had fallen short: "It is important this time to get it right." The 1998 statement that the board had hailed now is viewed as "not sufficient to the wrongs that had been perpetrated, either symbolically or in substance."

So here we go again. Having offered "profound regret" and deep sorrow, and having paid out more than $1-billion in settlement money, the government of Canada will apologize yet again today, this time presumably with more feeling (whatever that means), at much greater length, and in more elaborate detail.

...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.wcosimp11/BNStory/National

[glarius]

1. My goodness.......don't you know that NOTHING is official unless

it comes directly from Stephen Harper? Everything that has happened in Canadian government up until this time is meaningless unless it has Stevie's blessing! :sarcasm:

[Boojatta]

2. Were any religious institutions involved in abusive treatment of students at residential schools?

Alternatively, was the abusive treatment specifically prescribed in detail by legislation?

Perhaps all of the abusive treatment was inflicted by secular public school boards?

[HeresyLives]

3. Yes by the religions

And they were listed in Harper's speech. All of them have apologized and paid compensation as well.

The idea was to 'get the Indian out of the child'

There were no secular public schools then.

[Boojatta]

4. "they were listed in Harper's speech"

Is the following a link to a transcription of the entire speech by Harper that you have in mind?

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2149

The document in the middle column of that webpage is entitled: "Prime Minister Harper offers full apology on behalf of Canadians for the Indian Residential Schools system."

Is this the following the list?
"Most schools were operated as 'joint ventures' with Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian or United Churches."

I presume that "most" indicates at least lack of certainty that every one of the schools was operated as a joint venture with at least one of the organizations or denominations named above.

[HeresyLives]

6. Yes, they were religious schools.

There were no secular schools at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_residential_school_system


Edited to add the url.

[CHIMO]

5. Might Dig

Up some information at this site.

History of Indian Residential Schools

http://www.afn.ca/residentialschools/history.html#