Statement from Carole James and Scott Fraser on Apology to Residential School Survivors
VANCOUVER – New Democrat leader Carole James and aboriginal affairs critic Scott Fraser released the following statement at the First Nations Summit today in response to the federal government’s official apology to aboriginal survivors of residential schools:
On this important and poignant day, when the Parliament of Canada has accepted long-overdue responsibility for one of most shameful eras of our history, we thank our federal colleagues for offering a sincere and heartfelt apology to all aboriginal communities for the devastating effects of residential schools.
The legacy of residential schools casts a dark shadow over our country, and the apology today is an important step towards a shared future of mutual respect. But we must recognize that an apology alone will not bring full reconciliation; it must be backed up with concrete action.
It is time for all levels of government to address the damage to aboriginal communities caused by the residential schools system and hundreds of years of racist policies, including cultural dislocation, entrenched poverty, and the effects of physical, sexual, and mental abuse.
Any serious commitment to achieving justice for survivors of residential schools must also include implementation of the Kelowna Accord, adoption of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and a renewed dedication to the New Relationship.
Today’s apology is an important step on the journey to healing, but we cannot lose sight of how much further we still have to go. Only when aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians can stand shoulder-to-shoulder and say that the devastating effects of assimilation and racism have been truly addressed will true reconciliation be achieved.
