Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a tearful apology for abuses and cultural losses to the former students of residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Some 150,000 indigenous children over more than 100 years were separated from their families and forced to have a state-run education according to the BBC.
‘For every Innu, Inuit, and NunatuKavut child in Newfoundland and Labrador who suffered discrimination, mistreatment, abuse, and neglect in residential schools – we are sorry,’ Trudeau said.
Through tears Trudeau said: ‘Saying that we are sorry today is not enough. It will not undo the harm that was done to you. It will not bring back the languages and traditions you lost. It will not take away the isolation and vulnerability you felt when you separated from your families, communities and cultures.’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a tearful apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to former students of the Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Schools
Trudeau sits in the crowd before delivering an apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to former students on Friday
‘While this long overdue apology will not undo the harm done, we offer it as a sign that we as a government and as a country accept responsibility for our failings.’
‘The treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools is a dark and shameful chapter in our country’s history,’ he said in his address. ‘For all of you — we are sincerely sorry.’
Last year the federal government settled a class action suit on behalf of the survivors paying out a $50million settlement last year from the Trudeau government to 1,000 students who attended residential schools.
Referencing the settlement, Trudeau said it would not have been possible without the courage of those who spoke out about their experiences at residential schools.
‘Sadly, not all are here with us today, having passed away without being able to hear this apology,’ he said. ‘We honour their spirits, and we cherish their memories.’
‘Canada has now accepted responsibility for all that we went through’: Residential school survivor Toby Obed responded to the government’s apology
Emotional day: Elders offer prayers before Trudeau apologized on behalf of the government
The schools often did not allow the students to speak their language or to practice their culture in the name of educating the students.
‘They were made to feel ashamed of who they were,’ Mr Trudeau said.
More than 3,000 children died while at the schools and others suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse according to the BBC.
‘This burden is one you no longer have to carry alone. It’s my hope you can get some closure, that you can give your inner child some rest, that you can finally begin to heal.’ he said.
Trudeau made the apology from Happy Valley-Goose Bay in central Labrador.
Between 1884 until 1996, when the last of the schools closed, children were taken from their families and sent to these residential schools which were either church-run institutions or government-funded boarding schools.
In a landmark report titled Truth and Reconciliation which was released in December 2015, it said the policy was an attempt to weaken indigenous culture, and amounted to ‘cultural genocide’.
In 2008 an apology was issued to survivors of the schools, but survivors from the Moravian Mission and the International Grenfell Association that established boarding schools for indigenous children were not included.
Over 1,000 survivors of those schools disagreed with being excluded and filed the class-action against the government, which was settled in 2016.
Residential school survivor Toby Obed accepted the apology on behalf of all the students.
‘This apology has been a long time in the making. Too long,’ he said.
In 2008 ‘we felt left out, forgotten and abandoned. Canada has now accepted responsibility for all that we went through’.