I can't get to that video right now...it wont load.but I have read some of his articles. Interesting.

Have you read Isabelle Knockwood's book "Out of the Depths"? She writes about her boarding school experience. Tragic and sad what was done to these children in those places.

thank you for bringing this doc to my attention. residential schools have also affected my (maternal) family who are canadian, (kwakiutl). i've heard these stories all my life, within my family too, and has to do with how my mom ended up in california. its hard to hear, really hard. really to better understand whats gone on in my family, why there is shame and secrets and fear to the capacity it is. why we don't talk about certain things.

i think i'll have a box of kleenex handy.

We're sorry,' Harper says
Jun 11, 2008 05:58 PM

Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons today and apologized to all the people of the First Nations of Canada for the residential schools system that operated in this country. Here is the text of his address:

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools. The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history.

In the 1870s, the federal government, partly in order to meet its obligation to educate aboriginal children, began to play a role in the development and administration of these schools. Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in the child". Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.

Most schools were operated as "joint ventures" with Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian or United churches. The government of Canada built an educational system in which very young children were often forcibly removed from their homes, often taken far from their communities. Many were inadequately fed, clothed and housed. All were deprived of the care and nurturing of their parents, grandparents and communities. First nations, Inuit and Métis languages and cultural practices were prohibited in these schools. Tragically, some of these children died while attending residential schools and others never returned home.

The government now recognizes that the consequences of the Indian residential schools policy were profoundly negative and that this policy has had a lasting and damaging impact on aboriginal culture, heritage and language. While some former students have spoken positively about their experiences at residential schools, these stories are far overshadowed by tragic accounts of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect of helpless children, and their separation from powerless families and communities. The legacy of Indian residential schools has contributed to social problems that continue to exist in many communities today.

It has taken extraordinary courage for the thousands of survivors that have come forward to speak publicly about the abuse they suffered. It is a testament to their resilience as individuals and to the strength of their cultures. Regrettably, many former students are not with us today and died never having received a full apology from the government of Canada. The government recognizes that the absence of an apology has been an impediment to healing and reconciliation.

Therefore, on behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians, I stand before you, in this chamber so central to our life as a country, to apologize to aboriginal peoples for Canada’s role in the Indian residential schools system. To the approximately 80,000 living former students, and all family members and communities, the government of Canada now recognizes that it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes and we apologize for having done this.

We now recognize that it was wrong to separate children from rich and vibrant cultures and traditions, that it created a void in many lives and communities, and we apologize for having done this.

We now recognize that, in separating children from their families, we undermined the ability of many to adequately parent their own children and sowed the seeds for generations to follow, and we apologize for having done this.

We now recognize that, far too often, these institutions gave rise to abuse or neglect and were inadequately controlled, and we apologize for failing to protect you. Not only did you suffer these abuses as children, but as you became parents, you were powerless to protect your own children from suffering the same experience, and for this we are sorry.

The burden of this experience has been on your shoulders for far too long. The burden is properly ours as a government, and as a country. There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever again prevail.

You have been working on recovering from this experience for a long time and in a very real sense, we are now joining you on this journey.

The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly. We are sorry.

In moving towards healing, reconciliation and resolution of the sad legacy of Indian residential schools, implementation of the Indian residential schools settlement agreement began on September 19, 2007. Years of work by survivors, communities, and aboriginal organizations culminated in an agreement that gives us a new beginning and an opportunity to move forward together in partnership.

A cornerstone of the settlement agreement is the Indian residential schools truth and reconciliation commission. This commission presents a unique opportunity to educate all Canadians on the Indian residential schools system. It will be a positive step in forging a new relationship between aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, a relationship based on the knowledge of our shared history, a respect for each other and a desire to move forward together with a renewed understanding that strong families, strong communities and vibrant cultures and traditions will contribute to a stronger Canada for all of us.

www.thestar.com/News/Canad...icle/441556


my husband sent this to me from work. its hard to explain to people the damage it has caused. these situations have lead to arguments of despair in my home, the feeling of not being heard or understood, or playing the victim. i'll say this much, its about damn time. i am not the victim so much as my mother and extended family, who play the rold, not only that, have lived lives in sheer disorder and confusion. yes. i see how its all caused so much dysfunction and detachment and trying to express that the reason for this is that stems and has its roots in these sorts of recent issues. i dont think its old news, or ancient history. how to repair such damage? i don't really know. an apology is nice, but now... i know how it is. i think for my husband, being from england, he feels that all people go through this sort of thing, the irish did too. and funny, my kwakuitl grandmother married an irish man whom had suffered a great amount of ordeals, bringing with him even more. its a strange place... i'm glad to be where i am today, but i have genuine sorrow and angst regarding this heinous crime against children and humanity. you'd have to be absolutely heartless not to. i try to detach but i can't ignore it. not when i still see my family suffering, i stay away. i pray for guidance and healing. i don't like this part of the story...

I had brought this up earlier about how they are building a new museum in the Carisle Barracks in Pennsyvania that does not include anything about the boardind school that was located there. The only thing that indicates that it ever existed is the children's graveyard on the outside of the base.

If you do get the oipportunity to go to the research library (it houses a small history of the Army musuem that does have pictures of Gerimino and the famous football player that attended there and other pictures of the Crow indians that served as guides with the Calvary etc...) They will allow you to view photos and documents and they do have some of the instructions that the students were taught.

The graveyard is unique in its own right because there are children buried there from tribes that no longer exist.

It bothers me that these places are looked upon as being boarding schools when they were really small consentration camps. (But then so were the reservations)

I personally feel that it is a wound that needs to remain open and that all the children in the United States and Canada need to understand what occured there.

What bothers me is that as we sit here the Enuit people are tadgically suffering a fate of probable extinction caused by the same principles and greed and we need to use the past to save there future.