Canada Offers Apology to Native Peoples
The Canadian government extended a hand Wednesday in apology for more than a century of mistreatment of aboriginal peoples--but the gesture was rebuffed by some as not going far enough.
A “statement of reconciliation” was the centerpiece of Ottawa’s response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. It was accompanied by a pledge of $420 million for native peoples over the next four years on top of current funding.
The statement, delivered by Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart, expressed regret for the poor treatment aboriginals have received throughout Canadian history.
“The government of Canada today formally expresses to all aboriginal people in Canada our profound regret for past actions of the federal government,” Stewart said at a Parliament Hill ceremony.
The statement also included a long-awaited apology for the sexual and physical abuse that natives suffered at residential schools set up to assimilate natives into white culture.
The massive royal commission report, released more than one year ago, devoted 50 pages to a stinging indictment of the schools, which existed in all but New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island provinces.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
