Ken S. Coates: We must not look to governments to achieve real and … – Opinion-National Post
Ken S. Coates: We must not look to governments to achieve real and lasting reconciliation
June 3, 2015
Residential schools have been held up — appropriately – as one of the most destructive public policies in Canadian history. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission summary report, released Tuesday, lays out for all to see the intensity of the residential school experience and the long-term legacy of this ill-advised, colonial system of cultural destruction. The government of Canada got an idea about how best to deal with aboriginal people and stuck with it for generations, even in the face of mounting evidence of a tragic policy failure. It is ironic, therefore, that the Commission’s devastating critique concludes that substantial, even sweeping, government policies and programs are required to set things right.
