DEBATE	JANUARY 19, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 2
	Cooperation, Not Confrontation The historic apology is part of a federal paradigm shift toward aborigines By PHIL FONTAINE hen rights most others take completely for granted are achieved by aboriginal peoples, it is a milestone achievement. An example is this week's expression of "profound regret" by the federal government for its role, 150 years ago, in establishing an Indian residential-school system notorious for the physical and sexual abuse of the First Nations children. The apology was the centerpiece of Ottawa's long-awaited response to the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 3,500 pages that had been greeted with official silence for 14 months. Minister for Indian Affairs Jane Stewart announced a series of initiatives designed to help breathe new life into the country's aboriginal communities. But the moment of highest drama came with the apology for government participation in the residential-school scheme, which separated generations of aboriginal children from their families in a misguided attempt to assimilate the culture and traditions of the First Nations. An estimated 100,000 aboriginal children were forced into the schools, where some were routinely beaten with whips, chained and shackled to beds, or locked for days in closets. As Fred Kelly, an elder from Manitoba and a residential-school survivor, rightly commented at this week's ceremony, it is not within the powers of one person to forgive the transgressions of another; only the Creator can do that. Nonetheless, as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, I was honored to symbolically accept the government's apology as an essential first step in a changed relationship that promises to respect our differences and our culture as well as recognize our inherent right to self-government. Part of the package presented by Minister Stewart includes a $250 million fund to assist First Nations to recover from the legacy of intergenerational abuse and alienation spawned by the residential schools. While it is impossible to put a price tag on the suffering experienced by thousands upon thousands of aboriginal children, their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, the fund will go some distance toward starting the healing process. As someone who personally experienced the pain of the residential schools, I see this step as important for the long-term progress of aboriginal communities. Since my election as National Chief six months ago, I have been encouraged by what appears to be a paradigm shift in attitude by the federal government. The acknowledgment that we have a nation-to-nation relationship, the establishment of an independent land-claims tribunal, increased investment in First Nations' health and education, and the development of strategies to enhance First Nations' economic development indicate a real commitment that goes far beyond the rhetoric and empty promises of the past. Starting a new relationship with Canada means, among other things, working with the government to close the seven-year life-expectancy gap between First Nations members and other Canadians; ending the disproportionate Indian incarceration rate, six times as high as the national average; and addressing as an urgent matter the aboriginal school-dropout rate, 50% higher than that of other students. Minister Stewart said we cannot rewrite history, but we must deal with past mistakes if the First Nations and other Canadians hope to establish the trust and respect required to move into the next millennium. On behalf of the First Nations, I applaud the step she took this week and commit myself to work with her to develop a shared vision for the future. Cooperation, not confrontation, will make this a better country for us all, the place the Creator intended it to be. Phil Fontaine is the Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
time-webmaster@pathfinder.com