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Prime Minister Harper’s Apology
The apology is part of the process arranged by the government and the First Nations as parties to the agreement, part of an overall attempt to address the government’s role in the history of the Indian Residential Schools.
Métis
The term Métis describes descendants of both Europeans and First Nations people (the Canadian government did not formally recognize the term until the Constitution Act of 1982).
The Invention of the “Indian”
One of the first acts of the European colonization of the Americas was an act of naming or, more accurately, misnaming.
Colonization
When the European powers set their sights on North America, some three hundred years after the so-called discovery of the continent (which for them was the “New World”), it became a location for French and British settlements.
Colonial Power Struggle
War and political changes also contributed to the destruction of indigenous ways, livelihoods, and physical existence.
"The Welcome"
Gilbert Oskaboose's tells the story of a child caught between the traditional ways of his people and the non-Indigenous culture at a residential school.
Are Apologies Enough?
Consider two Indigenous leaders' reflections on the shortcomings of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's public apology in achieving movement toward justice and reconciliation.
The Churches Apologize
Read apologies given by churches of Canada for their role in the Indian Residential Schools system.
The Government Apologizes
Reflect on the apologies from the Canadian government to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper's 2008 public apology.
Can There Be Justice Without Truth?
Residential school survivor Peter Irniq discusses why it's important to uncover the truth behind the experience of students of the Indian Residential Schools.
Reconciliation
Richard Wagamese describes his road to reconciliation with the legacy of trauma, violence, and abuse of the Indian Residential Schools.