By Marney Blom
On June 11, 2008 Stephen Harper did what no other Canadian Prime Minister had done before: he stood up in Parliament and offered a public apology for the wrongs the Canadian government inflicted on its indigenous peoples through the Indian residential school system.
The boarding school system was sanctioned by the Canadian government and implemented by the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodists churches. It functioned for about 100 years and was often the cause of emotional, physical and sexual abuse of aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their families.
The wounds imposed by the system became a dark stain in Canadian history by the time the last of the 150 schools closed its doors for good in 1996.
Nishnawbe Aski Nations of Ontario grand chief Stan Beardy said he lost one young person to suicide in his territory each week.
“And that’s the direct result of (the) residential school experience.
“The people that went through the residential schools aren’t able to express emotions to their children. They cannot tell them, “I love you” and cannot show affections because they didn’t learn them.”
The Canadian aboriginal communities remained silent for two years, making no public response to Harper’s apology. Then came the Forgiven summit in the nation’s capital in June 2010.
First, representatives from the church in Canada came forward to apologize for the role they played.
Former grand chief of British Columbia’s Carrier Sekani Nations Lynda Prince said there were two parties involved.
“The government (who) made that into law … (and) the ones that implemented it … the churches, said, “God is love” – one main ingredient that was lacking from the introduction of Christianity that was given to us at these residential boarding schools.
“I think now our people will be at the stage to have the Lord reveal himself to them.”
Then came the Charter of Forgiveness and Freedom.
We forgive you for removing and isolating our children from the influence of their natural homes, families, traditions and cultures and for seeking to assimilate us into the dominant culture, read Chief Kenny Blacksmith before holding up the carefully crafted Charter to an exuberant crowd.
The document was authored by residential school survivors, elders and youth, and signed by 24 elders representing First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.
The charter’s presentation to minister of Indian affairs Chuck Strahl was the crowning moment of a six-month journey led by the former deputy grand chief of the Quebec Cree Kenny Blacksmith. He had criss-crossed Canada with a team, encouraging aboriginal communities to find freedom by releasing forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
As long as our people blamed others, they were never free, said Blacksmith. “When the Prime Minister apologized … it really brought home … for our people … an opportunity to break free from the past.”
Complete with a video address made by Prime Minister Harper, could the Forgiven summit turn a page in Canada’s history?
Sarah Koi, a First Nations youth from Vancouver, said she believed the release of forgiveness went to the root of the problem. “We’ve seen years of oppression, generational addiction, and brokenness. I feel that when we say we forgive, we will cut something in the spirit.”
Others took it a step further.
When the spirit of forgiveness is released in the land it will be the last puzzle piece that will be added to the platform called healing, said Mohawk pastor Barry Maracle of Desert Streams Christian Fellowship in Belleville, Ontario. “This is where we are going from this weekend on. The healing revival is going to be released.”
Many believe a deep inner healing began to penetrate into the core of the nation at the Forgiven summit, and it was a critical step in releasing Canada into its destiny.
The nations are saying, we’re watching. What is happening is giving us hope, said Rev. Dan Goddard of the Abenaki First Nations and Director of Good News Ministries International. “We realize this is true. Canada is called to bring healing to the nations. This is a fulfillment of prophecy.”
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