Canada Righting Historical Wrongs
Is it really that complicated? The Institutions of Church and State that were responsible for this genocidal practice still exist and must not they take responsibility, be prepared for restorative justice, reparation? Why do we continue to hesitate for righting this historical wrong? Should not the new Canadians also engage with this dark history?
Here are a few pertinent Calls To Action from TRC; which are perhaps rather benign.
58. We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We all for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.
71. We call upon all chief coroners and provincial vital statistics agencies that have not provided to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada their records on the deaths of Aboriginal children in the care of residential school authorities to make these documents available to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
74. We call upon the federal government to work with the churches and Aboriginal community leaders to inform the families of children who died at residential schools of the child’s burial location, and to respond to families’ wishes for appropriate commemoration ceremonies and markers, and reburial in home communities where requested.
When 22% of current Canadians are naturalized Canadians and not born on this land (me included), and over 40% of Canadians are first generation Canadians; it is easy to realize how much more work must be done with ALL Canadians, most of whom still don't understand the enormity of historical injustice this land has experienced in the last 400 years.
A Syrian or East Indian who became Canadian yesterday, whether out of compulsion or choice, must be engaged in this multilogue.
I'm trying as much as I can