Talk is cheap! I don't know about Australia or the US, but for Canada it is high time to start honouring treaties. The last one - the Kelowna Agreement - promising financial help just went up in smoke and First Nations people continue to be left living in poverty and despair. Ah! the white man...saviour.

I know we aren't responsible for what happened 100 years ago, but we are responsible for what does or does not change today.

That makes sense to me. This apology thing is an exercise in futility if anyone asked me....which they don't. If someone needs that kind of victimology rationale, they will miss what to do now. And I believe you are right. Now is what is important.

"Native culture has been romanticized while the reality is something different altogether"

Thats the truth! The Comanche when they came to Texas made Atilla the Hun look like Santa Claus.
Reality eludes some of these folks however. They mistake opinion for fact. I believe you are on the right track.

"I think the people themselves have to decide if they want to be Canadians or Chilcotin or Cree."

Well put. It's the opportunity to make a choice that I find is denied or enforced on so many. I know we aren't responsible for what happened 100 years ago, but we are responsible for what does or does not change today. So much to be accountable for, so few ways to make a difference. Native culture has been romanticized while the reality is something different altogether, both better and worse. Natives LOVE to laugh more than anything in the world, you never see that aspect of their nature in films.

Li-an June 14th, 2008 8:23 am

Frankly I don't know. I certainly don't know enough about the specific problem most of you guys do to comment on it, but I'd say the thing I want to know is, what do the people themselves want to do?

"a Cree who moved from N. Alberta when little and tried to get into St. Joseph's, he was refused because he was not Chilcotin."

Thats not that surprising as most people stick together with their own. "Bowling Alone" made real points about this.

But in the end I think the people themselves have to decide if they want to be Canadians or Chilcotin or Cree. They can be one or the other or both. My choice would be both like the Irish in America, we don't speak Celtic, we don't live only with Irishmen, but St. Patricks day is celebrated by the whole country.

The thing I think people miss is that even today, a Comanche is most definately not a Sioux.

But as you can see I don't really have an intelligent suggestion, but Canadians usually reach a reasonable solution given time.

Thomas More thank you.

But I'd like to know what to do about it. Myself I've taken steps to train status women in my own field, help obtain funding for their certification and hired them into well paying employment, do I discriminate by not selecting white women? Maybe, I have trained them but not hired them. My question remains (and knowing what life is like on these reservations) would it have been better to leave the children there and continue the generational cycle of illiteracy and abuse or force the possibility of an option on them? These children's lives on the reserve were not a haven of culture and hollywood ideology, on the other hand the abuse and dehumanizing they were subjected to by the catholics was equally bad. I just don't know.

I have encountered the virulent prejudice of D&G's brand since I was 9, have the scars to prove it. But the fact that I was one of the very few blond girls ever invited to St. Joseph's Mission proves it can be got past. D&G's attitude would not be welcome here.

One note of interest, a good and well respected friend of mine is a Cree who moved from N. Alberta when little and tried to get into St. Joseph's, he was refused because he was not Chilcotin.

An official apology is only a start. What aboriginal people need is employers who will pay them a fair wage, landlords who will rent them accommodations and entry places into mainstream society where they can live in dignity and have the same opportunities as any other citizen. Otherwise an apology means little. And Harper cannot stop people from saying "when you hire an Indian they won't come back to work after the first pay cheque because they go out and binge drink." To make a difference all Canadians have to stop thinking in terms of those kind of stereotypes. There are lots of messed up white alcoholics rolling around in the streets too but they don't encounter the same knee jerk prejudice that an Aboriginal person does. The crime is still going on, the damage is still being done.

Doom n Gloom June 13th, 2008 1:21 pm

That was totally uncalled for. We really don't need that kind of unreasonable talk or personal insults.

And it makees the points you are trying to make quite suspect. So how about an apology to Li-an and a little more civility in discusing the issues here.

VanGelder June 13th, 2008 4:24 pm
There were no native people here and how do you figure out who is decended from slaves?

Earthian is correct that Colorado is not the only U.S. state to apologize to Native Americans. The Virginia Legislature also adopted a resolution of "regret" in March 2007. I've posted a correction on my original blog: www.yesmagazine.org/svgblog. Thanks for catching that, Earthian.

Although several others have apologized for slavery, I haven't found any evidence that any other states have apologized to Native peoples. Let me know if I've missed any. In any case, we have a long ways to go to make amends to both Native people and the descendants of slaves.

– Sarah van Gelder

This a link to a presentation yo Parliament by a native activist. This hardly a small group. This woman speaks to nepotism on the reserves and the plight of women there.

http://www.accessmontana.com/morris/page17.html

Now this hardly excuses the actions of the Government of Canada upon the natives nor their duties and obligations to right the many wrongs, but it does show that there not the solidarity amongst the Aboriginal populations some might suggest.

They join together as a group and as various tribes/entities because that the only way they can get their voice heard.

The original Indian Act was sexist and deprived Native women of their rights and that status quo was defended by many of the native Elders who were men.

In making restitution and setting things right, the entirety of the Indian act must be looked at. It makes little sense to simply disburse funds to set right a wrong committed only to see those funds used to commit other wrongs.

There is not going to be a simple solution and there no way in the world simply cutting cheques an adequate response. I sincerely believe Abroiginals need to be given more Political clout in our Government.

"Race" based quotas for seats in the Senate and or Parliament may seem un-democratic to some (and i use the definition of race very loosely here and in its rather inaccurate historical sense) but I see them as quotas based not on race but based upon whose lands these were first. If Africans had been here first then the same would have applied to them.

It absolutely unacceptable that Native Communities by the hundreds do not all have access to clean drinking water or live in absolute and utter poverty.They need a voice and political power and it seems the only way they can do things today is by shaming the larger community into setting things right.

In other words whatever little Political power they have is still at the whim of the larger population.

My hopes are that this acknowledgement of wrongs done also helps educate the Public at large. Too many Canadians have this stereotype of the drunken lazy Indian and have no idea of the absolute destruction our Governments visited upon them with those residential schools.

David, you will find that American Indians see themselves as survivors and not victims. You will also find a reasonable attitude among us. Making things right will not be as painful as many suggest. It needs to be done.

I was going to mention the slavery issue, but Ms. van Gelder got to it at the end. In addition, the US owes an apology and reparations to all the nations we have invaded, bombed, stole land and territory from, rigged elections in, assassinated leaders of; and not just from the 20th century, but extending to time before the USA fought for independence. Significant reparations should also be made to Native Americans, whose land we (yes, I am a European descendant) stole through fraud and force. The US has a lot to answer for and we can't even begin to consider ours as a free country until we, the People, at the very least, acknowledge the wrongs committed by those that came before us.

Li-an, you are full of shyt. I know you kind and have dealt with them for many years now. You lie to make your point. You are probably a white supremicist if I had to guess. Your comment was, "More than one side to this issue. I'm Caucasian and grew up with the kids that were forced into the missionary schools, spent quite a few weekends in one as a guest. The elementary school I attended was 80% native kids from the mission. They were all that is said, cold, brutal, harsh, bars on the windows much more… and children were forced from their parents, no doubt at all. The question that remains unanswered in my mind is, 'Would it have been better to leave them on the reserve and illiterate, incapable of more than receiving welfare?'

My answer was correct. It is cultural genocide and there is no rationalization or excuse for it. Paint your little white hate group propaganda. I know who you and those like you are and will confront you with the truth and do so directly. I say to you burn in hell.

Doom n Gloom I realize you are speaking from emotionalism, that's understandable given the situation. I was there, I offered a brief first hand account of what is really going on, what went on, and you choose to play the blame game? What will that accomplish? How do you propose we fix this? Do we snivel about it and bawl about hell as you propose, or do we do something about it and what?

elmysterio June 12th, 2008 8:17 pm

Thanks for that. I knew they were not indigenous to America, but I had forgotten that. I knew the Comanche had taken the land here from the Apache, who had liberated it from the Spanish. That it was not originally their land. In fact if you want to see some real cruelty, study the move of the Comanche from Colorado/Arkansas into Texas. Those boys were tough and took a lot of slaves.

"Forcibly taking children from their homes and brutally reeducating them to a different culture is cultural genocide."

I just saw this....does that mean that all Comanche are burning in hell too?

ProudAmericanLiberal June 13th, 2008 7:24 am

Now that was just flat beautiful and expressed beautifully.

"and they're not afraid to converse with each other even though other people don't understand what they're saying."

The problem with this is that the practice is just rude unless you happen to be a tourist.Its not behavior that citizens indulge in.

Would it be possible to not use offensive language in making a point? Its really not that emphatic, its just needless and offensive.

"More than one side to this issue."

Forcibly taking children from their homes and brutally reeducating them to a different culture is cultural genocide. There is not another side to this issue. It is genocide and it is dead wrong. Those who survived live lives deeply troubled by this experience. Using living conditions on the rez to justify this now is hubris and narrowcasted thinking.

Indigenous Peoples are survivors of the greatest genocide in the world in the last five hundred years suffered at the hands of European Christian people. Your Christian ancestors are burning in the hottest corners of hell and you will follow them because genocide continues today.

Good writing Proud American Liberal, thank you.

This isn't something that can be fixed by an apology and/or a cash payout. Typical capitalist mentality -- apologize for something that can't be undone and throw a little money around. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada were the only countries who did not sign the U.N. declaration of indigenous rights a couple of years ago. Apology my ass. International court with reparations hearings and a determination to permanently restore land, cultural education, health care -- in short, dignity -- to native peoples is a good *start*. As for the long term, capitalist consumers need to realize their habits are killing their Mother and extract their heads from their asses. Indigenous peoples have a lot to teach "modern" society -- unfortunately, much of their knowledge was lost. But an indigenous attitude toward the Earth is desperately needed in the world and it's not too late for that. That would be the best way to repay the atrocities visited on indigenous peoples by short-sighted profiteers.

More than one side to this issue. I'm Caucasian and grew up with the kids that were forced into the missionary schools, spent quite a few weekends in one as a guest. The elementary school I attended was 80% native kids from the mission. They were all that is said, cold, brutal, harsh, bars on the windows much more... and children were forced from their parents, no doubt at all. The question that remains unanswered in my mind is, 'Would it have been better to leave them on the reserve and illiterate, incapable of more than receiving welfare?' The living conditions on reserves today remain deplorable (and yes I know this first hand today) and the 'compensation' handed out has caused much grief because it has exacerbated the problems afflicting these people. Better to have put the funds into improving living conditions than cash into pockets. I've been told as much by many that received the cheques.

Indian in the Living Room

I would like to introduce
someone you have grown up with
refuse to acknowledge
who has made the life you know possible

Hello my relatives
I am the Indian in your living room
I am the First Nations
the original inhabitants of Turtle Island

I am the corn, the beans, the squash
the sweet potatoes
and tomatoes on your dinner table
I am the gratitude you express
every fourth Thursday in November

I am the Corn Maiden, the Two Hills,
the Sacred Mountains, Spider Woman, Shiprock
I am the Kachinas, the Thunderbird,
the Black Hills, and the Buffalo

I am the Pipe Carrier,
the Keeper of the Sacred Bundles
the White Buffalo Calf, Kokopelli,
I am Heyoka
I am Coyote, Raven, Crow, White Old Man, and Salmon Boy
I am the Sun Dance, the Ghost Dance, the inipi wakan, the hanblechya

I am the Indian in your living room

I am the Great Law of Peace
I am the plan for the U.S. Constitution
given you by the clan mothers
of the Iroquois Federation
I am political freedom, free speech, equality,
and freedom of assembly
which you claim as part of being an American
I am the Delaware who allowed Washington's troops
to survive the winter at Valley Forge

I am the caretaker of Mother Earth
I am the Grandfathers who tell the stories
that teach us how to be human
I am the Ancestors who watch from the heavens
I am Powhatan, Pocahontas, and Sacagawea
who helped the white man survive in a strange land
I am the Brotherhood of the Shield
that used to care for and protect the people
before the white men came

I am the Indian in your living room

I am the residue of Manifest Destiny
I am an inconvenience to progress
I am America's Final Solution
I am the ghost of Osceola, Pontiac, and Seattle
I am the Trail of Tears, Sand Creek, and Wounded Knee I and II,
I am Baker's Massacre, Ghost Ridge,
and all the atrocities carried out in your name
I am the guilt you carry for these crimes

I am the Indian in your living room

I am blankets infected with smallpox
I am trade whiskey, forced conversions, and Indian schools
I am slavery, spoiled beef rations, and crooked Indian agents
I am Cornstalk, Chief Joseph, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse,
I am Sitting Bull, Jim Thorpe, Leonard Peltier, and Ira Hayes
I am Squanto, Red Cloud, White Calf, and SuAnne Big Crow
I am the Navajo Code Talkers who helped you win the war in Pacific

I am a long history of unpaid debts and broken promises
I am the spirit of the buffalo shot from train windows
and left to rot on the plains
I am every treaty ever made and broken

I am the Indian in your living room

I am the reservation
where the Constitution and Bill of Rights do not apply
I am the loss of freedom and way of life
I am poverty and unemployment, alcoholism and diabetes
I am hopelessness and suicide
and I am here to tell you
the reservation now includes your living room
and it just swallowed New Orleans
now we all live here together
Welcome to the reservation
what they have done to me is being done to you
and you let them away with it

I am the Indian in your living room
and I will not go away

I am your past, your future, your heritage, and your destiny
I am that small drop of Indian blood every American family now carries
I am your parent, your grandparent, and great-grandparent
and we are all related

I am the Indian in your living room
and I don't seek vengeance
I'm done asking for just compensation
Your government is not capable of dealing honestly
I am declaring independence
and you had better respect it

I ask that the people open their hearts and listen
and when you weep
for the loss of my children
as you would weep for your own
then, I will know you have heard

Mitakuye Oyasin

Chief Justice Marshall's opinion in Johnson v. M'Intosh, 21 U.S. 543, 589 (1823):

"Although we do not mean to engage in the defence
of those principles which Europeans have applied
to Indian title, they may, we think, find some excuse,
if not justification, in the character and habits
of the people whose rights have been wrested from
them.

The title by conquest is acquired and maintained by
force. The conqueror prescribes its limits. Humanity,
however, acting on public opinion, has established,
as a general rule, that the conquered shall
not be wantonly oppressed, and that their condition
shall remain as eligible as is compatible with the
objects of the conquest. Most usually, they are incorporated
with the victorious nation, and become
subjects or citizens of the government with which
they are connected. The new and old members of
the society mingle with each other; the distinction
between them is grandually lost, and they make one
people. Where this incorporation is practicable, humanity
demands, and a wise policy requires, that
the rights of the conquered to property should remain
unimpaired; that the new subjects should be
governed as equitably as the old, and that confidence
in their security should gradually banish the
painful sense of being separated from their ancient
connexions, and united by force to strangers.
When the conquest is complete, and the conquered
inhabitants can be blended with the conquerors,
or safely governed as a distinct people, public
opinion, which not even the conqueror can disregard,
imposes these restraints upon him; and he cannot
neglect them without injury to his fame, and hazard
to his power."

But of course

at 590

"But the tribes of Indians inhabiting this country
were fierce savages, whose occupation was war,
and whose subsistence was drawn chiefly from the
forest. To leave them in possession of their country,
was to leave the country a wilderness; to govern
them as a distinct people, was impossible, because
they were as brave and as high spirited as they were
fierce, and were ready to repel by arms every attempt
on their independence."

So you know

at 587

"The power now possessed by the government of the
United States to grant lands, resided, while we were
colonies, in the crown, or its grantees. The validity
of the titles given by either has never been
questioned in our Courts. It has been exercised uniformly
over territory in possession of the Indians.
The existence of this power must negative the existence
of any right which may conflict with, and control
it. An absolute title to lands cannot exist, at the
same time, in different persons, or in different governments.
An absolute, must be an exclusive title,
or at least a title which excludes all others not compatible
with it. All our institutions recognise the absolute
title of the crown, subject only to the Indian
right of occupancy, and recognise the absolute title
of the crown to extinguish that right. This is incompatible
with an absolute and complete title in the
Indians."

at 591

"However extravagant the pretension of converting
the discovery of an inhabited country into conquest
may appear; if the principle has been asserted in the
first instance, and afterwards sustained; if a country
has been acquired and held under it; if the property
of the great mass of the community originates in it,
it becomes the law of the land, and cannot be questioned.
So, too, with respect to the concomitant
principle, that the Indian inhabitants are to be considered
merely as occupants, to be protected, indeed,
while in peace, in the possession of their
lands, but to be deemed incapable of transferring
the absolute title to others. However this restriction
may be opposed to a natural right, and to the usages
of civilized nations, yet, if it be indispensable to
that system under which the country has been
settled, and be adapted to the actual condition
of the two people, it may, perhaps, be supported by
reason, and certainly cannot be rejected by Courts
of justice."

GWNorth;
As they were helping in the 'stealing' of property, the people who ran the underground railroad were criminals. In their case, I think - as did they - that the breaking of the slavery laws was the only moral choice they had; moral criminals. They did the right thing even though it was against the law. Some laws should be broken, most should never be broken.

>>People arguing like you're doing would say that the Canadian-U.S. underground railroad were wrong; but they were very or damn right to do what they did. These providers were mostly not of the same pigmentation as the slaves who were helped to escape to the north and this difference didn't make the providers at all wrong.

I can not make any sense of this statement. You seem to be saying that those that helped the Slaves escape via the underground railroad were criminals .

>>Man do you get simple matters easily CONFUSED. It's a habit that's good to break; ya know, or should realise anyway.

No you are the one getting matters confused. it NOT a simple matter. The Natives of Canada are not a monolithic block. To suggest otherwise shows a great disresepect to their different histories and cultures.

You try and lump them all together as one...simple problem simple answer. That is not the case.

>>BS, for we damn well do, and the answer is as per above, even if we are not indigenous; but there's more reason too. We have the right based on universal human rights laws, as well as based on laws of Canadian govts. We are either for these laws and rights, for [everyone], or we are complicitly supporting crimes against others

And I call BS on you. The UN statement in Indigenous rights is done by a body of people with very little representation from the Aboriginal peoples directly. Its the UN.

The ONLY people who can claim that an apology warranted is the people who were made victims of the crimes against them, and not some third party declaring that they should not seek such. This is simply perpetuating more of the "we know what is best for you nonsense".

As an individual IF you are an aboriginal you have the right to reject that.If an aboriginal you have every right to reject the apology.

As an individual and an aboriginal you can not claim to speak for all the First nations. You speak for yourself and reject the apology for yourself.

As an individual if you are not aboriginal you have NO place rejecting the apology. That is the Victims right and place not yours.Please give them that individual choice as it is theirs to make and not yours.

I think it high time we listened to what the Aboriginals want and not what *I* might want which is exactly what you are doing.

The Aboriginal leaders requested as one step towards reconciliation and the correcting of wrongs done to them a formal apology from the Government of Canada.

They got that.

Now we can try and move forward from here. By formally apologizing the wrongs done and how the residential schools destroyed families we can hopefully move beyond the blame the victim part.

As to what the UN declares as a Human right or what Russia might declare as a Human right or what The US constitution or the Canadian Carter of rights and freedoms declare as a human right...

It my belief that such rights are fundamental and inalienable and can not nor should not be granted by a declaration on a piece of paper. Any right granted by writ can be taken away by writ.

I speak to a sense of fundamental justice. What is just and what is wrong not because a piece of paper might state it ok one day and an amnedement state it wrong the next but because it remains JUST no matter the laws of the land.

Lastly, the example you give of the RCMP evicting a Heridatary Chief.

This has nothing to do with an apology to Natives for the aboriginal schools. Furthermore amongst the Aboriginals themselves here in Vancouver where I live there is dissension amongst the whole idea of "heridatary Chiefs". There are many in the community that claim such a system blocks progress and allows for favoritism on the reserves.

The voice is not a single one. You have to acknowledge and respect that if you truly claim to be concerned for their plight.

A treaty with the BC Governmnet was recently signed. This treaty gave many millions of dollars while surrendering claims to a broad chunk of land. The Chiefs signed on thinking it for the good of the tribe. There a large number of individuals within the tribe who felt it a sellout.

Which is it? whose side do you take?

The article is right about Colorado. But it is wrong about the other 49 states.

In this article linked below, it documents that six US states have apologized for the horrific treatment of African slaves and Native Americans. They are New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Maryland, and Florida. With Colorado's apology, that makes seven. Here is the reference to the six:

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/27/7922/

For a good example of a US state apology, here is a link to the Virginia apology to both the descendants of African slaves and native Americans:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+ful+HJ728H2

And here is one of the statements near the end. I think it is quite remarkable and . . . apologetic:

>>WHEREAS, the story of Virginia's Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans and their descendants, the human carnage, and the dehumanizing atrocities committed during colonization and slavery, and, moreover, the faith, perseverance, hope, and endless triumphs of Native Americans and African Americans and their significant contributions to this Commonwealth and the nation should be embraced, celebrated, and retold for generations to come; now, therefore, be it . . .>>

As sovereign nations pre-existing the Constitution Indian Nations have the right to exist free and unconstrained by the claim of plenary power. That's all it is a "claim." That claim is enforced at the point of a gun and is a clear violation of International Law.

The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples clearly spells out the obligations of Nation States in their relations with Indian Nations.

The attempted theft of land and resources by the American and Canadian Governments is a clear violation and a continuation of genocidal policies.

No amount of money could ever replace or pay for the vast lands, resources and lives that have been stolen and are still being stolen in clear violation of treaty rights. If you don't want to honor the treaties then give the land back.

Let remember that, when it comes to apologies by the US I believe the precedent was already set.

Recall back in 1988 after the accidental shooting down of an Iranian Air flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 people, by the US missile frigate Vincennes. Bush I said: "America NEVER apologizes to anyone!" So, in the international settlement of the case, the US paid a lot of money to the individual victims, but refused any agreement that required admission of responsibility or an apology.

It should be obvious to everyone that an arrogant, practically psychopathic, swagger defines the personality of US policy, foreign and domestic, under all it's presidents. Just think of a dangerous juvenile delinquent, and you will be know everything you need to know about the USA. The possible exception was maybe Carter, who came to be regarded as our worst president because of his wimpyness.

So, don't look for any official apologies from the fucking USA.

Guys like Shawn belong where they are behind bars for a long time.

Information is ongoing and arrives in email , website links, blogs, books, personal meat space discussions etc...
For those wanting to know more here are a few links. Some have searchable databases by topic.

American Indian Resources
Mohawk Nation News: http://www.mohawknationnews.com/
Indian Country Today: www.indiancountrytoday.com
Indianz: www.indianz.com
Indigenous Law Institute: http://ili.nativeweb.org/
Indian Trust: www.indiantrust.com
Western Shoshone Defense Project:
http://www.lemhi-shoshone.com/western_shoshone_defense_project.html
Lubicon Cree: http://www.tao.ca/~fol/

I don't agree with the above and the people get millions every year from the Ontario GOV to hand out. Do you know the amount that works out for each??? or afraid to say it. I say ban the whole thing. Indians own the disputed land and have to pay taxes on it like the rest or sell it. Only hunt in season not fill a pick up truck with fish out of season. Did your ancestors have a fucking pick up truck over a hundred years ago? OR did they have a horse and worked with the land As the sign says on the 401 out by Shannonville says over 50% terrorists live here.

" GwNorth June 12th, 2008 7:11 pm

If people are going to describe the injustices visited on Canada's aboriginals, they should get their facts straight as no good as done by confusing one group of peoples with another.

The Six nations are the member tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, their reservations overlap Canada and the United States.

They have absolutely no exposure to the dirty water of the Athabasca Tar sands which are affecting an entirely different group of Aboriginals.

..."

YOU are better off finding out what the facts that you're missing are, for what you are saying illustrates negligent analysis, narrow-mindedness, .... The Canadian FN Peoples of the east are united in solidarity with the FN Cdns of the west and it mostly is only a matter of supporting each others' calls for justice. Those on the east coast and in central Cdn provincial territories aren't asking for the land that's been criminally expropriated from the FN of the west; they are in solidarity for those people to have their lands returned to them.

The Iroquois within Quebec have their distinct issues, but there are also issues that are common to many other tribes or group thereof, and there is NOTHING wrong with them being all in solidarity with one another; only non-thinkers could disagree, certainly not people of real wisdom.

It's a little like with the anti-war protesters of the West. We don't ask for Iraq's, Palestine's, Haiti's, ... lands and rights to be returned to us, but to them, instead. The basic distinction is that we're further away from those peoples than the various Cdn FN tribes are from each other; it's only around 3,000 miles to cross east-to-west in Canada, while being a whole MUCH more distant between here and the Middle East, in addition to there being only one continent here, North America.

But the indigenous peoples around this whole planet fighting for their rights and compensation are in solidarity with each and there is NOTHING wrong with that; to think there is is to be either negligent, careless, or callous, hypocrite, .... The indigenous of South America and who are in solidarity with the indigenous of North America are not asking for any part or portion of what's owed to the northern indigenous peoples. ETCETERA, and simpler than "making pie". (I need to find a good maker of good pies. Hmmm)

"As to apologies, the only people who have the right to claim whether an apology will be accepted are the people who had their lives destroyed by the policies of the Canadian Government. "White people" have no business claiming an apology unacceptable."

BS, for we damn well do, and the answer is as per above, even if we are not indigenous; but there's more reason too. We have the right based on universal human rights laws, as well as based on laws of Canadian govts. We are either for these laws and rights, for [everyone], or we are complicitly supporting crimes against others.

Man do you get simple matters easily CONFUSED. It's a habit that's good to break; ya know, or should realise anyway.

People arguing like you're doing would say that the Canadian-U.S. underground railroad were wrong; but they were very or damn right to do what they did. These providers were mostly not of the same pigmentation as the slaves who were helped to escape to the north and this difference didn't make the providers at all wrong.

The crimes of the govt of Quebec against the Cdn FN populations of this province are my business alright; past, recent, and ongoing crimes against them IS MY BUSINESS! After all, being a citizen of civic duty and conscience requires me to CARE and make these crimes my business. I can't afford to provide help when it involves providing money, for I'm too poor; but whatever I can do to contribute is MY RIGHT to provide it.

YOU SPOKE OF PIERRE E. TRUDEAU not having apologized, nor any PM before him, and use this to nonsensically argue a defence of PM Harper's apology. I provide links to good articles to read and they are fitting to read in answer to this specific argument of yours.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/12/9587/#comment-298870

You'll need to scroll down to near the end of that post for the links. And I already realise what kind of answer or reply to expect from you, so I emphasise carefully reading the articles and the following one, and to read at the MNN and HFH websites linked in this other post of mine.

"RCMP evict hereditary chief Kiapilano and supporters Squamish Band Office, Vancouver",
May 24-25 2008

Because MNN's article links are long, I'll just recommend reading that article, for which the link will easily be found in the News index. www.MohawkNationNews.com

It's FN, Squamish land! In March, Chief Kiapilano and Rev. Kevin Annett posted eviction notices for or to either the three Canadian churches, or else to the 'Holy Rosary Catholic Church', only, and this was done in or with due justice. Evidently, the elites of colonialism had a different view and decided they would evict these people from their own land and when they, the latter, were the ones who were right. It is for Chief Kiapilano along with dedicated community minister Rev. Kevin Annett, and all of the FN supporters there, who have the right to whose on that land, and who has the right to enter and stay.

They do NOT commit crimes, nor even the slightest of discourtesies, against other Canadians and it's more than long past due time to stop the crimes against them.

nice gesture but remember Harper would suck a skunks asshole if it would get him more votes. He is so full of shit he won't even let his elected MP's talk to the press unless what they will say is scripted. He never answer questions and is the ONLY PM to take the opposite party to court to stop the truth from being told.

kinghenry, I'll just say it before anyone else does...you're an asshole.

Having said that, let me respond to your statements. Regret is only the first step toward reconciliation. If I knock you on your ass, regret is me saying, "Man, that was bad I knock that guy out". If I want to heal the breach, I then apologize. "Man, I'm sorry I knocked you down." Then I take action. I either pick you up from the ground or refrain from knocking you down again.

The Canadian gov't may have expressed regret but, that was the merest beginning of the process that will reconcile White Canadians with their First Nations brethren. Besides, 1.9 billion out of a total $1.178 trillion GNP is a puny drop in the bucket of all the wealth and aid that should be given to the First Nations. For fuk sake, all the wealth that is Canada belonged to them until it was stolen, defrauded and murdered away from them.

As for your veiled, paternalistic comments referring to the handling of said reparations, to be frank, what business is it of yours? Even if they frittered it all away on whores and blow, isn't it theirs to do what they will with it? You may have a preference where you would like to see the money spent (probably back into Canadian hands), however your preferences do not bind the First Nations nor does it delegitimize their claims.

You stated that the First Nations people that went through the system of 'assimilation' benefitted from that system. Specifically, you mentioned education, medical care, decent clothing, food, and protection. I think it's hilarious how your Canadian government took all these things away from the First Nations and then gave them back, only with the proviso that they be ripped away from their tribes and families and become red white people. You think this is a benefit? To gain the whole world and lose your soul? Funny.

It is not a victim mentality that demands restitution, justice and repentance. A victim cannot demand these things. Only a people with a renewed sense of self and new-found bravery can stand up against such a power and demand that they be made whole. You're attempts at an ad hominem attack are weak and fall flat against the bracing winds of truth. Black Anarch out.

So, how much apology is enough? In 1998 the Can gov't expresed 'regret' for the Aboriginal Schools disgrace. The Assembly of First Nations accepted this overture at first, then proceeded to agitate for more, as is their continuing 'modus operandi'. Somebody already mentioned the $1.9 billion payout. How many clean water systems, new schools, good housing will that amount buy? So where did the money go once it passed into various band councils? Anybody want to consider how many children actually benefitted from this 'away' schooling - medical care, decent clothing, meals, freedom from abusive & alcoholic parents, career opportunities that certainly didn't exist back home? Nah, let's leave all these elements alone. They go against the blathering victim mentality that is soooo today's new religion.

Thomas More asked: "I'm confused since you keep saying the lands were stolen from the American Indians. Where did they get them?"

Where did the natives come from? Well, around 40,000 years ago, there was a "land bridge" between what is now Russia and Alaska... It is most likely that people originally came to the Americas from Asia via this land bridge following game. Over 1000's of years, these people migrated throughout North and South America, becoming the Native peoples. Now there are those that dispute this theory but it seems the most plausible to me. Others say "The Natives were always here" but Mitochondrial DNA testing places the natives of North America as distant relatives of the Asiatic peoples.

Others suggest that boats were in use as far back as 25,000 years ago. Nobody knows for sure yet... But I personally believe in the Bering land bridge theory.

>>For those who don't know, Canada has already made monetary reparations to individuals who suffered at residential schools

Yes it was some 1.9 billion dollars which I do not think sufficient. Like others I also believe just handing over a Cheque to survivors might well do more harm then good. The natives of the North have a great concern over how the sudden influx of wealth affects their communities.

We have to do everything in our power to preserve what is left tof the various languages aned cultural traditions AND more importantly, we can not and should not group all the various First nations peoples together as one with a single one size fits all solution.

Failing to recognize the historical/cultural differences between the Mic mac and the Haida will simply perpetuate the harm done.

The First nations peoples had and have a diverse and rich cultural history and this is part of the wealth of our nation.

dablackanarch: I agree with you about the whole reparations thing... The people that are saying that the natives should be given reparations are forgetting the fact that the sudden influx of funds into their lives will most likely cause more harm than good given the rates of alcohol and drug abuse. What would be better would be a solid investment by the federal government in the native communities to provide them with decent living conditions and opportunities.

Now on the other side of the coin, in the early 1900's, Canada had what was called the 'head tax' on Chinese immigrants... The idea was to limit the number of Chinese immigrating to Canada... Now the descendants of the people that had to pay this tax are yelling and screaming for reparations... That seems wrong to me. Systematic abuse of an indigenous people and slavery are much different things than a unequal immigration policy.

What seems to be happening here is that people are operating under the assumption that immigrating to Canada is a RIGHT not a PRIVILEGE. Anyways... quite off topic. ;)

Today very few American Indians speak their languages; it's mostly elders who are dying off who know the language of their tribe.

Here in America I hear people from other countries freely speaking their language e.g. Spanish, Filipino, Chinese, etc., and they're not afraid to converse with each other even though other people don't understand what they're saying. In fact (in case you haven't noticed), the U.S. is very accommodating to Spanish-speaking people.

Mike Corbeil June 12th, 2008 6:36 pm

"LIKE I SAID; THERE ARE DIFFERENCES and I will not mix up what's owed to others"

Gotcha! I'll follow those links.

As to Obama, two of the top 10 contributors are the University of California and Harvard. That should tell you something.

Pax

For those who don't know, Canada has already made monetary reparations to individuals who suffered at residential schools. Unfortunately it has not always turned out well as some recipients have drunk themselves into an early grave. The real tragedy is the loss of culture and language leading to a lack of identity and a loss of self worth. Even if not physically abused this process amounted to severe psychological abuse.

If people are going to describe the injustices visited on Canada's aboriginals, they should get their facts straight as no good as done by confusing one group of peoples with another.

The Six nations are the member tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, their reservations overlap Canada and the United States.

They have absolutely no exposure to the dirty water of the Athabasca Tar sands which are affecting an entirely different group of Aboriginals.

As to apologies, the only people who have the right to claim whether an apology will be accepted are the people who had their lives destroyed by the policies of the Canadian Government. "White people" have no business claiming an apology unacceptable.

First nations leaders have asked for a formal apology as a first step towards righting the wrongs so if people have a problem with the apology take it up with Aboriginal leaders.

That said an apology is merely a first step. Slamming Harper because he gave one on the behalf of Canada while ignoring the fact that some 20+ administrations before did not offer an apology and did nothing to address the wrongs done seems a little hyprocritical.

Pierre Eliot Trudeau did not offer an apology nor did any "Liberal" Government before.

For the next steps I would like to see the compensations increased to at least 10 billion dollars. Rather then just pay this out to survivors, I would like to see Aboriginals sit on Committees where they decide how this money will be disbursed with the emphasis on treatment, preserving and encouraging the preservation of the various native Cultures and languages and the introduction into the Educational curriculum the true facts on how our First nations peoples were treated.

Added to that i would like to see the First nations gain some true political power. I suggest this done through Senate reform with the Senate being made effective and electable and with at minimum 20 percent of all Senate seats reserved for the First nations people and the Metis. The Senate in effect becoming a co-government.

To the Beothuk. Yes they were exterminated, but this had nothing to do with the Governmnet of Canada. Newfoundland did not join Canada until 1949 and the last Beothuk died before then. Up to that point Newfoundland was a colony of the British Empire.

The past can not be changed. Yes we should attempt to address the injustices committed but focusing on how terrible they were without offering up solutions does nothing to address those injustices.

Our treatment of our First nations people is the single biggest stain on Canada's history. An apology was long overdue.

The leaders of the U.S. are far too arrogant to give an apology to the Native tribes of the country. They're only interested in large minorities where they can get votes from. The indigenous people have been largely killed off over the years; hence, they have a small voting bloc.

Here in Alaska the Native children are still being yanked out of their homes by unqualified, redneck social workers over flimsy, superficial reasons. The children are then placed into foster homes where they are sexually and financially abused -- with no punishment for the non-native perpetrators. Alaska is a red, Republican state, and the lawyers work for the state agency and not the Native parents.

" Thomas More June 12th, 2008 5:38 pm

Mike Corbeil June 12th, 2008 5:16 pm

See question above (Thomas More June 12th, 2008 4:19 pm) and as I thought about it, how do you count the British slave till 1780? Do tjhe British take care of that? And what about black slaveowners? This whole thing seems to complicated to ever work.

Besides, the Irish built most of the infrastructure! My tribe would be in it too!"

LIKE I SAID; THERE ARE DIFFERENCES and I will not mix up what's owed to others with what's owed to the CFNP (Cdn FNP). Many CFNP live on their own lands, not in colonialist cities, etc.; F.E. As for those who live within colonialists' cities and so on, the CFNP are still owed in ways that are certainly providable. I recommend very careful reading at MNN (and there are other true CFNP websites, only I don't know which are recommendable, MNN not seeming to provide a resource set of LINKS, if I recall correctly); I trust MNN and live in Quebec where some real conflicts have occurred since the early 1990s. The msm news media here did NOT provide adequate ethical and investigative coverage, but through what they did provide, I could learn or see that the CFNP being unjustly treated AGAIN (and again, ...) were RIGHT.

I come from the "streets", real poverty, many years of physical and psychological abuses, including by school teachers, so I guess to have developed some [real] instincts, and intuitiveness about the character of the colonialists, ... who don't relent. Those of us who've woken up or been awake all of our lives SEE the injustices and side with the people whose rights are denied. CFAR is one example.

But North American societies NEED TO STOP all of their injustices, nationally and internationally, TOO! As for compensation to descendants of slaves in the U.S., the funds should come from the people who inherited the wealth of the slave owners, all who profited from slavery. That would be a truly just way to obtain and provide such compensation; and it's simple, except the inheritors of that wealth are perhaps wealthy enough that the colonialist, ... govt would not do this to them. Yet that's not a reason to not demand that it be done, either!

" Doom n Gloom June 12th, 2008 5:47 pm

The land you are living on was probably part of a treaty guaranteeing American Indians health care and education. The rest, such as the Louisiana Purchase was just stolen outright. So don't "even" suggest that these things are reparations, they are not."

There is that sort of information and much more elaborate at MNN for people wanting to learn more on these topics; certainly recommendable topics. There are other resource websites, but I don't know which are really recommendable. Maybe you, DnG, can fill us in a little on some of these educational resources, online.

"America might find some "around the fort" Indians to accept an apology absent the end of genocide. That is the american way."

North American way; but the same applies still too much in South America, so throughout all of the Americas. The colonalist, ... injustices continues.

I believe to have read that in some of your posts; speaking of all of the indigenous peoples of Earth, but also and specifically the Americas.

What happened in Haiti in Feb. 2004 and what's imposed by the international, colonialist, ... forces there ever since is another and serious example. The regular American or U.S. Empire bs with respect to Venezuela and other Latin American countries are other examples. They're doing it in Africa, much, though perhaps less directly, in Palestine and Lebanon, and then directly again with respect to Iraq, Iran and Syria, as well as Afghanistan, Diego Garcia. HEH, WORLDWIDE; nationally and internationally.

"It will only create an illusion of sorrow against a backdrop of continuing brutal genocide. American's will buy into the bullshyt as an easy way to ease their consciences. It's all so damn transparent, repetitive, and predictable."

Continuing genocide is one of the big problems in Canada; but also in African and other countries. The msm, corporate "news" media helps to cover MUCH of these realities up, and when they are covered in these media publications, it usually mixed with LIES. Real journalists would not do this, for they seriously investigate and report in HONEST terms, truth.

The rich elites want everything to themselves. The following two articles provide important information of a different kind about these people.

" Exposing Bush Administration Corruption

by Stephen Lendman

Global Research, June 11, 2008"

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9288

YOU DO NOT WANT TO SKIP reading that article! You will most surely agree, and get ready for some serious "shock therapy".

"Barack O'Bilderberg: Picking the President

by Andrew G. Marshall

Global Research, June 9, 2008"

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9270

BEWARE. Many machinations of Mal kind go on and are going on, while corporate msm "news" media keeps many of us very ignorant sheople. It's not to say that I can personally accuse Barack Obama of having committed a wrong, as described of his (and Billary's) secret doings, which seriously stunned the press people traveling with Obama's campaign; stunned and fuming with anger. I'd need to know more information before being able to form a definitive view. But Bilderbergers are ... they dwarf the power of AIPAC, and unlike the latter, the B. Group is HIGHLY, very highly secretive. That's how the very most dangerous people operate, YA SHOULD KNOW.

I'm confused since you keep saying the lands were stolen from the American Indians. Where did they get them? They were not native to America and certainly not to Texas.

Not to say that the Indians weren't treated shamefully, treaties broken right and left, but lets not say these guys were saints, just sitting around the campfire or didn't do a bit of stealing themselves.

Though my knowledge is of the Comanche, Apache and Sioux, so I may be wrong about others.

An ACKNOWLEDGMENT of what happened would be a huge beginning! Most people have no idea why anyone should apologize for anything such as genocide of Native Americans or slavery and genocide of African Americans.
My four grandparents were all Dawes enrollees in the Cherokee Nation. . . For those who don't know what that means here is a brief explanation: It means that each of my grandparents could trace their ancestry (with legal documents) back to the Cherokee Nation in the east in 1835! Now that was a quagmire to prove, but the hearty souls of this tribe did just that in the very early 1900's before the U.S. federal government dissolved THEIR government which was the government of the Cherokee Nation. My paternal grandfather, who worked as a postmaster in the Cherokee Nation related years later how he cried when he had to change the postmark from that of the Cherokee Nation, I.T. to the State of Oklahoma. What it meant in real terms was they were each "given" a small bit of land -- a small fraction of their inheritance and their whole identity was "dissolved". Of course there were "bureaucratic explanations" made by the U.S. government, but that was rather like what happens today in the third world. Today the people of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma are working hard to reclaim their identity through extensive language immersion, history classes, housing efforts, health-care, improvement of infrastructure like roads, enrichment opportunities for children, jobs,etc., etc. and accumulation of land "re-bought" fair and square on today's market. So, guess what? The state of Oklahoma is worrying about it's tax base because tribally owned lands are non-taxable. That goes way back to old treaties. Some white people openly express jealousy over the services provided to tribal citizens by the tribe. It is my opinion that the State of Oklahoma AND the US government have neglected their responsibility to provide similar services to ALL United States citizens! They can't do that, however, because there is a WAR to pay for and because of the whole litany of corruption they are engaged in. [You guys know about that part].

When I read the Cherokee Phoenix,(the Cherokee newspaper) I feel very proud of my people and its leadership, and I wish fervently that I could feel the same pride in the United States. Alas, I don't. I do still claim United States citizenship and would do whatever I could to positively change our entire country. (I do not use the term "America" or "Ah Mer U KA" as Bushco says. North America is the continent on which we live. The continent of North America includes the countries of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. We are just a part of the larger whole.
Perhaps the Native experience could be a "lesson learned" if it were ever talked about or acknowledged. (P.S.: many of my ancestors came to Oklahoma via "the Trail of Tears", while others came as "Early Settlers". To my knowledge my ggg grandmother died enroute on the Trail. Another gg grandmother lost her first husband near Springfield, MO while on the Trail. After burying him, she then "took charge of her family and went on! A third gg grandmother gave birth the day after the family arrived in the west! Hearty women & men, those Cherokees!)

The land you are living on was probably part of a treaty guaranteeing American Indians health care and education. The rest, such as the Louisiana Purchase was just stolen outright. So don't "even" suggest that these things are reparations, they are not.

America might find some "around the fort" Indians to accept an apology absent the end of genocide. That is the american way. It will only create an illusion of sorrow against a backdrop of continuing brutal genocide. American's will buy into the bullshyt as an easy way to ease their consciences. It's all so damn transparent, repetitive, and predictable.

Mike Corbeil June 12th, 2008 5:16 pm

See question above (Thomas More June 12th, 2008 4:19 pm) and as I thought about it, how do you count the British slave till 1780? Do tjhe British take care of that? And what about black slaveowners? This whole thing seems to complicated to ever work.

Besides, the Irish built most of the infrastructure! My tribe would be in it too!

Seriously, I don't know if an apology would help or not and not all whites owe one don't forget. But maybe we should. I don't know.

Sorry. What a word. The above posters are right in pointing out that it's not a sufficient thing to say sorry. In Canada the majority of people incarcerated are Native American. A pardon won't help them, incarceration doesn't help either.

Sorry just doesn't go far enough to cover what was done in the name of the people of Canada, Australia, the USA or many other countries on this chunk of rock... It may help somewhat to move forward and heal the abuses suffered, if so I'd be happy. Somehow I think the more regressive elements in our country will just say, 'we said sorry, now get over it.'

Doom n Gloom: You are 100% right about our Harpy's apology. It is mere pomp and ceremony, empty words never to be followed by true change. He no more feels sorry for our First Nations' people than he feels for anything humanitarian. He needs to be human for that emotion to filter through his fundamentalist, corporation-loving, 'oily' robo-soul (should he have one). It was a feel good action on the neo-tory part because they are quickly losing favour with average Canadians. Think unpopular support for Afghanistan, unpopular support for the SSP, unpopular support for Bush & Co.

"Oh Canada, our home on Native land."

Reparations are due in Canada, for Canada's First Nations Peoples; and the criminals need to be held accountable, including the criminal members of the churches that operated the hellish Residential Schools system. I already posted enough for resource links in the page for the other article posted at CD and on this topic today.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/12/9587/#comment-298870

Reparations for the Canadian FNP are not really comparable to what's owed in the U.S. and due to the slavery of black, Native, and other Americans of the past. There are important differences and 'sovereignty' is one big difference. BY LAW, the Canadian FNP [are] 'sovereign' within Canada. But they are still being expropriated, forcefully and criminally removed from their lands, and so on; ONGOINGLY!

People who support that can burn in ...; damn hypocrites and sons of the father of lies, and so on. Imperialist shits.

Denying justice being rendered for one group so that we make sure that all groups who are owed justice are also denied is NOT a goal that we can justly refer to as an 'achievement' of any honourable kind; ALSO.

dablackanarch June 12th, 2008 4:23 pm

Gotcha! I can live with reparations like that!

But you'll never get the cheap higher education past the hard left educational establishment. They are making way to much and would be giving up way too much control to get that. Won't happen.

Doom,

What Canada is doing to the Six Nations is a horrible travesty of justice. To be honest, what you're saying will be lost on many readers of this site.

What kills me is how quickly our white brothers and sisters will consign all the horrible misdeeds to the past. Today, blacks make up 12% of the population of Amerikkka but are over 50% of prisoners in the system. Unemployment is supposedly at about 5% nationwide yet, on some 'reservations' it's as high as 70%. This is criminal.

In the meanwhile, we're all supposed to pray, sing, sweat and hope that one day we shall overcome. What a joke. The fact is that, peace and justice isn't something to be given to redeem the black, brown or red man. It's to redeem the whites. True forgiveness can't happen until there is an acknowledgment of wrongs. This is why we need the apology, Doom. Because, with the apology, maybe some repentance and healing can take place. Maybe we can learn to love the Mother again and respect all our brothers.

Thomas,

I'm for reparations for everyone. For a start, lets get some Health Care going. Second, extremely cheap or free higher education. Oooh, let's throw in some living wages, shorter working hours and cleaner environments to go along with that.

I don't want the government to give black people anything. I want them to stop stealing from us all through wars, corporations and high ass taxes that provide us with nothing but funds KBR, Lockheed and Bear Sterns. It wouldn't be fair to give anything to just blacks. Give it to us all.

Stop kidding yourselves. American genocide is alive and well. There is an active blackout of American Indian issues in the American media. That blackout is purposeful. Land and resources are still being stolen resulting in the deaths of American Indians. The Indian culture has been largely obliterated by the forced introduction of Christianity and western culture. Only approximately one quarter million American Indians still retain their traditional values and the Baptist bastards are trying to eliminate them. I am fortunate that I still live traditionally among my people. Any Baptist bastard that tries to proslityze me will be hurt bad. Screw the "sorry" statement, end the genocide and then request forgiveness. Only then will it be accepted and not before.

If you think Prime Minister Stephen Harper is sorry ask the Six Nations Peoples. He is sending the army against them for protecting their own land from development. They have little clean water and what remains will become toxic after use in extracting tar sands oil. Public relations is no supstitute for ending genocide. Take your sorry ass and go to hell Stephen Harper.

"I don't care about reparations"

Something that always stumped me was how "reparations" would be awarded anyway? How would you determine which blacks were the decendents of slaves and which weren't? And with the bad records what if a decendent couldn't prove decent from slaves? That wouldn't be fair would it?

Ladybug,

I sooooo feel you. As a matter of fact, I get grief for being anti-reparations from my fellow blacks. The fact is, the wealth isn't mine to accept from a criminal government. What an apology would do for me is to simply acknowledge a great wrong and point the way forward. I've written to Obama (more than likely the next dictator of our banana republic) and asked him to issue a formal apology to our First Nations brothers and to the descendants of the former slaves. Lets see him kiss our asses like he kissed AIPAC's. I don't think it's going to happen.

All kidding aside, this should be a non-issue. If Australia and Canada can step up and say, "I'm sorry" without the sky falling, why can't Amerikkka?

dablackanarch,
Great post. Unfortunately, white people in the USA cannot understand that all your people and the Native peoples want is what you stated: AN APOLOGY. It means a lot more than paying reparations, because it gives your people their sense of human dignity. But of course, for the average ignorant (and even some supposed educated) white person, that is not understandable. No wonder Bush has had two terms in office.

I don't care about reparations. I'm an African American and I personally believe that an official apology by this government would be all the reparations I need for the slavery of my ancestors.

Don't forget, even while our First Nations brethren were being robbed, swindled and massacred, so were my people. I support with no reservations, any attempt at the people of the First Nations to receive justice for their losses. However, let us not forget those who were forced to develop and build the wealth that this nation currently enjoys. Let us not forget those who are still fighting to share in that wealth.

Amen Zoya! You would think Isreal would have some compassion for others considering their history.

And after the US, Israel.

Regarding the forcing of "Native-Canadians" to enrol in local schools and be taught the local religion, I am a school choice advocate. It should be the parents, not the government that decides what the children should learn.

An official apology could lead to legal procedures for reparations. Billionaires and corporations that profitted from the genocidal land grabs won't allow that to happen.