Flashermac Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 OTTAWA - In an historic speech, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized Wednesday to Canada's native peoples for the longtime government policy of forcing their children to attend state-funded schools aimed at assimilating them. The treatment of children at the schools where they were often physically and sexually abused was a sad chapter in the country's history, he said from the House of Commons in an address carried live across Canada. "Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm and has no place in our country," he said, as 11 aboriginal leaders looked on just feet away. Indians packed into the public galleries and gathered on the lawn of Parliament Hill. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indian children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. Hundreds of former students witnessed what native leaders call a pivotal moment for Canada's more than 1 million Indians, who remain the country's poorest and most disadvantaged group. There are more than 80,000 surviving students. "The government of Canada now recognizes that it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes and we apologize," Harper said. "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," Harper said. Harper also apologized for failing to prevent the children from being physically and sexually abused at the schools. More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Our New PM has started this trend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 and why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Our New PM has started this trend... Not sure about that TB. Canada apologized in 1998 but maybe it didn't go far enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Yes that is well before us ...there was talk of saying sorry some years back ..may well have gained momentum after the Canadian announcement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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