Window becomes a symbol of Canada’s past

The federal minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs refuses to accept the concept that the Indian residential schools system was a form of genocide, and this refusal underscores the urgency of open and frank discussion on the subject, said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo.

“We’re pursuing a First Nations-Crown gathering with the Prime Minister this winter, because it’s very clear that we’ve got to put the relationship back on its original treaty foundation of mutual understanding,” Atleo said.

In October, John Duncan, minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada, claimed that the government’s operation of Indian residential schools was an educational policy gone wrong. Duncan’s comments followed his announcement that a stained glass window marking the residential school legacy would be erected on Parliament Hill.

Duncan said he did believe forcing children to attend residential schools was a form of genocide.

“No, I don’t feel that way, but certainly it was very negative to the retention of culture and if it extended another generation or two, it might have been lethal,” said Duncan.

“It’s a well-known historical sentiment that residential schools were quote-unquote to kill the Indian in the child,” said Atleo.

Residential school survivors at the most recent national event hosted in Halifax by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission told story after story of being punished for speaking their Native tongue and forced to speak English, being isolated from other family members, and being prohibited from practising their culture and religion.

“At school they cut my braids. My sister screamed in terror when they cut her braids,” Marilyn Ingram told the Commissioners’ Sharing Panel on Oct. 28. The nuns at Shubenacadie Indian Residential School told Ingram that her grandmother would burn in hell.

“My story was no exception.”

Ingram also said that her brother was the last to die at Shubenacadie Indian Residential School.

“If we look at genocide in its dictionary terminology it talks about loss of life and I know that broadly it conjures up major, major death squads in Europe or in Africa, but First Nations experienced loss of life, experienced an overt effort to kill our languages, to disconnect children from their homes and their culture,” said Atleo.

NDP leadership candidate and Quebec MP Romeo Saganash, who is Cree, instantly called for Duncan’s resignation.

“It’s a comment that requires an immediate apology and not only for those of us who survived the residential schools like me…but also for us who had family die there, those of us who have seen the damage it has struck at the core of our communities, our families, our culture, for several generations,” Saganash told APTN National News.
While Atleo isn’t calling for Duncan’s resignation, he is calling for talks to happen between government and First Nations.

“(We need) real mutual respect and that includes making every effort to have a shared understanding of not only what happened in the past (and) how we describe it, but more importantly, at this juncture, how we design a future that must be done in a joint fashion,” said Atleo.
The stained glass window to be installed in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is one way of moving forward, he said.

“It’s a symbolic gesture for sure, but I think it’s a symbolic gesture in the right direction. It’s going to be permanent,” said Atleo. He said it will help Canadians, as well as Parliamentarians, remember that children and families were impacted by residential schools.

The window, which will be the first thing MPs see upon leaving the House of Commons, will be designed through the joint effort of an artists’ panel, and will be installed in 2012. Duncan did not comment on the cost of the window.

“It will stand as a significant piece of our shared history and I really, really put a lot of faith in the brilliance of our artists and our communities,” said Atleo.