Harper Says Canada "has no history of colonialism"

October 2, 2009

Statement From Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse In Response To Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Claim That Canada “Has No History Of Colonialism”

At the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated that Canada "has no history of colonialism". I am calling on the Prime Minister to immediately retract this inaccurate statement as clearly Canada does have a history of colonialism and for many years forcefully imposed assimilationist policies on the First Nations people in this country. The devastating effects of these harmful policies are still being felt within First Nation communities across this country.

The Prime Minister himself acknowledged Canada's colonialist past in the June 11, 2008 apology that the government of Canada offered survivors of the residential school system, and their families. The Prime Minister stated that the "two primary objectives of the Residential Schools system were to remove and isolate children from their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption that Aboriginal cultures were inferior and unequal".

These statements are an acknowledgement of a colonial past. They in effect accepted responsibility for the Canadian government's efforts at forced assimilation. The apology was meant to help foster a new beginning toward a better relationship between the government of Canada and the First Nations people of this country. The First Nations people welcomed this apology in good faith and said that they were going to watch for the Prime Minister's words to be put into action. We are still waiting for the attitude that led to the harmful policies of the past to be replaced by a more cooperative and respectful approach.

Full Statement:
http://www.nationtalk.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=24132 [1]

 

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