Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to speak on the Indian residential school apology.
Today our aboriginal people have a reason to be hopeful. First Nations people have waited a long time for this sincere and full apology by the Government of Canada for their role in developing and running the residential school system.
Residential schools caused incredible suffering for thousands of aboriginal people when their children were systemically removed from their family, community and culture. Our aboriginal children suffered physical and emotional abuse leading to loss of language, culture and parenting skills. The impact of those experiences has and will have serious effects on the health and well-being of generations of aboriginal people.
Today Prime Minister Harper made that statement on behalf of the federal government and all Canadians in the House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, this apology is another step toward a brighter future for our First Nations. Canada is moving forward in acknowledging and regretting the harm it inflicted on my people. Compensation payments and the launch of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are connected steps supporting the recovery from the trauma suffered.
Today thousands of First Nations people gathered in Ottawa to witness this historic event in person. In my riding and in many other parts of the NWT people were glued to the TV and radio to hear that apology. It is an apology to each one of us as members of First Nations. An apology cannot undo what happened. The government apology is about what they’ve done to our people. To us, it’s about tragedy of loss. I send my wishes of courage,
strength and wisdom to our people to find forgiveness so we can move forward.
Mr.
Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to
conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
We need to ensure that the stories and experiences of our residential school survivors and the Canadian policies that inflicted them remain in the conscious memory of all Canadians. Instead of blank pages, they must become part of our history books. They must be talked about in our schools and history classes. When we learn from history instead of forgetting about it, we can start building a better future for our children and grandchildren.