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Jonathan Kay on residential schools: Six reasons why Stephen Harper's government shoul... Page 1 of 6

Main | About | Contact Editor | Subscribe RSS Jonathan Kay on residential schools: Six reasons why Stephen Harper's government shouldn't deliver an apology Welcome to Full Comment Posted: June 11, 2008, 1:24 PM by Jonathan Kay Jonathan Kay About the blog of the National Post Comment section. Later today, the Canadian government will formally apologize — again — for our nation’s long-standing policy of forcing native children to attend residential Editor: Marni Soupcoff (e-mail) schools. Beyond the obvious trauma involved with separating children from their parents, the policy led to the abuse of thousands of children at the hands of inadequately trained (and, in some cases, sadistic) teachers and supervisors.

Such emotional scars no doubt have stayed with the victims throughout their lives. And it would be a hard-hearted pundit who would cast doubt on a gesture ostensibly intended to palliate their suffering, even in some small way, with a solemn, official expression of contrition. POPULAR George Jonas on That pundit is me. the Maxime Bernier scandal: There are at least six good reasons why the Canadian government’s Julie Couillard is ongoing self-flagellation over residential schools is objectionable — and hardly a tramp why today’s apology shouldn’t be uttered. David Frum on 1. Apologies such as this one carry little moral weight: The evil that Scott transpired in residential schools was the responsibility of a different McClellan's new generation of political and religious leaders. Today’s gesture thus comes book: George off as both empty — in the sense that it will be uttered by politicians with Bush got the no moral authority to speak for the sins of the past; and cynical — in the team he deserved sense that the real goal, many suspect, is simply to capture the goodwill Marni Soupcoff our society associates with pious contrition, especially in the context of on Google's hot racism. trends: dry

drowning, 2. No apology, no matter how contrite, is ever deemed sufficient. For currentcodes.com proof, consider that the federal government already expressed regret for and Lisa Miceli the residential-schools legacy way back in 1998. And the Assembly of The Post First Nations (AFN) pronounced itself happy with that apology — until it editorial board: became clear that more could be twisted out of the government. It is The Mark Steyn telling that, despite a $1.9-billion compensation plan for residential- complainants school victims, the AFN still isn’t happy. In fact, it has pre-emptively don't understand protested today’s apology because the group's officers didn’t help write it. freedom of The issue of residential schools is a lever of guilt that the AFN has pulled speech hard and often in the past. Don’t expect this latest apology to change that.

E-MAIL 3. All official apologies of this type play into a toxic trend that has Send a note to permeated Western societies in recent decades: the fetishization of the editor victimization as a marker of group status. As we’ve seen in the context of Holocaust memorials, the trend sets up a perverse competition between groups — be they Ukrainians, Armenians, Japanese, natives, Jews, or Asian “survivors” of Canada’s head tax — with each claiming their Search... Submit Query suffering to be deserving of official recognition.

Such political theatrics encourage the idea that modern problems can be Podcast attributed to ancient historical injustices. Whether one is speaking of the Palestinians in the Middle East, Muslim immigrants in Europe, Blacks in Join National Post the United States or natives here in Canada, the least successful sub- editorial board groups within communities tend to be the ones that expend the greatest members amount of psychic and political energy casting themselves as victims of Jonathan Kay, external forces. It is a fatalistic habit of mind that deters individual Marni Soupcoff achievement, which is the engine of advancement in any free society such and John Turley- as our own. Ewart for their weekly conversation about the stories and opinions that have the Comment section 4. The endless hand-wringing over residential schools masks the fact that abuzz. This week: The members of the Post the goal of these schools — social and economic integration, a proper editorial board consider Stephen Harper's education, the endowment of job and language skills, health care residential schools apology, and explain why bad provision, spiritual uplift — were entirely laudable; even if the execution things happen when governments say they're sorry. (most notably, the forced separation of children from parents, and the | Subscribe via iTunes

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inadequate oversight of abusive staffers) was often thoroughly barbarous. By casting the legacy of residential schools in an unremittingly negative Subscribe to Full Comment light — and, by implication, encouraging the romantic idealization of native society in its pre-Contact state — we risk discrediting the larger • RSS Feed project of integration, which, done properly, is our only realistic strategy • ATOM Feed for addressing Canada’s scandalously impoverished and dysfunctional native reserves.

5. As an empirical matter, every apology comes with cash — whether Recent Comments before or after. A lot of it. In this case, the five-figure per person payouts from the federal government to make amends for the residential schools If I may add to my last comment a further program has caused a deadly upsurge in binge drinking in many northern observation on the irrationality and absurdity of communities — an outcome any idiot would have foreseen. As legions of Mr. Kay's reasoning... One of Canada's premiere lotto winners can attest, putting a big fat cheque in the hands of people philosophers, George Grant... who aren’t used to money is a recipe for misery and disaster – longsword Full Comment 6. The process of apologizing inevitably leads to a warping of history. Since the point is to express contrition, all of the sins of the past are Well done, Mr. Nagy. A well-deserved six slaps on systematically summoned to mind as an endless parade of horribles, while the wrist for Mr. Kay, and you let him off lightly all of the positive aspects get systematically ignored. As Rodney Clifton with that. Having just read his piece on the and Ray de Souza recently reminded us on the pages of the National Post, apology, I can only... residential schools produced much that was good alongside the much that – longsword was evil. Yet I am guessing that this side of the ledger will be ignored in Full Comment today’s apology — just as it will no doubt be ignored by the roving Truth and Reconciliation Commission that will be hearing testimony on Recent Posts residential schools in coming years.

I know it gives politicians a warm, fuzzy feeling to say sorry. But our The Post editorial board on the Supreme Court's governments would do better to focus on more boring tasks like paving divorce decision: Share the wealth ... and the tax roads and fielding armies. They should not be in the business of rendering shelters editorial judgments on history — even historical episodes involving their –Marni Soupcoff own precursors. That job should be left to historians, educators, authors Full Comment and — yes — journalists. When politicians take the job on themselves — even if it is in the service of apologizing for a genuinely shameful blot on Colby Cosh: New food-miles skepticism their nation’s history — only bad things can happen. –Colby Cosh Full Comment [email protected] Comment links Comments (9) Send to a friend Permalink

9 Comments • Colby Cosh You must be logged in to post a comment • Victor Davis Hanson Click here to post a comment • Transterrestrial Musings by IainGFoulds • Little Green Footballs Jun 11 2008 ... 7 (related to #3)... this only further entrenches the • Iraq the Model 2:37 PM regressive principles of social collectivism- the • Jihad Watch considering of ourselves as divided into groups. • Stephen Taylor • Arts & Letters Daily ... Personally, I find it an entirely alien, and slightly offensive, to consider some individuals as "my people", and others as not. Full Comment Mobile ... In a nation based upon the principles of individual rights, the state does not recognise citizens as divided Get headlines and stories from Full Comment and into groups. other National Post feeds delivered straight to your BlackBerry or Windows Mobile-powered PDA by Raze with Viigo. Free, instant, lightning-fast access gets Jun 11 2008 IainGFoulds: you what you want, when you want it. 4:01 PM Iain, I also find it offensive to think of myself as a Click here to get started. "Second Nations" indiviual.

Jon mentioned that "By casting the legacy of residential schools in an unremittingly negative light — and, by Active Tags implication, encouraging the romantic idealization of native society in its pre-Contact state.." and "The process • Adam Daifallah of apologizing inevitably leads to a warping of history. • Alberta Election Since the point is to express contrition, all of the sins of • Allan Gotlieb the past are systematically summoned to mind as an • Barbara Kay endless parade of horribles, while all of the positive • Bjorn Lomborg aspects get systematically ignored. " • Brian Day • Brian Kalt

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• Charles Adler • Christopher Hitchens This apology goes beyond the hurt imposed upon some • Christopher Orr individuals, and is another chapter in the ongoing • Christopher Sands narrative intended to dissolve the founding history and • Colby Cosh cultures of Canada into a story entirely based in Marxist • Conrad Black historical revision and the recounting of nothing but the • Daniel Goldbloom brutal subjegation of innocents by obscene colonial • Daniel Pipes dictators. • Danielle Crittenden As Jon points out, I am now to believe that my • Dave Gordon forefathers perpetrated a holocaust here in North • David Asper America. • David Frum • Ed Morgan The fetishization of victimhood stems from its first being • Editorial commoditized. Once victimhood can be traded as a • Eugene Lang commodity, the standard mechanisms of fetishization • Ezra Levant take over. It's a wonder the government doesn't start • Father Raymond J. De Souza issuing victim credits as Canada's second form of • Gary Clement currency. • Geoffrey Clarfield • George Jonas Great article Jon. • George Radwanski • Graham Robb by cblack24 • Howard Levitt Jun 11 2008 Unbelievable.... and horrible • Ian Hunter 9:02 PM • Internal dissent I appreciate diverse opinion - if it is an informed one. • Israel Jonathan Kay's is not. If he has some evidence to • Jack Mintz suggest that the goals of the residential schools where • Janice Gross Stein laudable he should pubish it because the rest of informed • Jason Zengerle world has not seen it. Including the Prime Minister. • Jeet Heer • Jerry Amernic Kay claims "as an empiracle matter every apology • John Moore comes with cash." Maybe he didn't talk to the many • John Oakley survivors who received nothing under the settlement • John O'Sullivan including the families of the thousands of children who • John Richards died from preventable causes of disease and abuse in the • John Tory schools but still found some comfort in the apology. • John Turley-Ewart • John Williamson He talks about warping history - but has no problems • Jonathan Chait warping facts as he lays out one unsupported argument • Jonathan Kay after another. • Josh Patashnik • Joyce Arthur Most of all Kay does non Aboriginal Canadians a huge • Karen Selick disservice by minimizing their compassion and their • Keith Devlin interest in learning from Canadian history so that they • Kevin Gaudet can learn from it to ensure all children in Canada can • Kevin Libin have a better life in a better Canada. • L. Ian MacDonald • Larry Zolf Honestly, with the general deterioration in the quality of • Leo Adler journalism in North America, there are few articles in • Letters the press that appaul and shock me for their arrogance, • Lorne Gunter ignorance- and in this case - fundamental lack of • Mark Milke humanity. This article does - and it's writer does even • Mark Stabile more. • Marni Soupcoff • Michael Coren The National Post should be embarrased. • Michael Ross • Noam Scheiber by chuck80 • Open Thread Jun 11 2008 hear! hear! cblack24!! • Paul Russell 9:24 PM • paul russell"it begs by saga6n • Peter A. Singer Jun 12 2008 I think Harper did a laudable job for Canada today. • Peter C. Newman 12:27 AM • Peter Shawn Taylor I also think Chief Terry Paul's observations for the • Philip Carl Salzman occasion echo those of many. • Podcast • Rev. Jacob Brinkman Reaume http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm? • Reverend Carl Reid sid=142703&sc=145 • Robert Fulford "The prime minister’s apology is long overdue but is • Roger Hall little more than a start, said Paul, who called upon • Romeo Dallaire • Rory Leishman

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governments to agree to the aboriginal and treaty rights of his people instead of offering “empty rhetoric.”

“If we were able to get access to our own resources . . . to the land that we own or part of it, enough to live off to govern ourselves, that’s where the real action begins. That’s where the real reparations happen."

And it's already law, and now commonly becomes agreement based on "duty to consult and accommodate" Constitutional Aboriginal and Treaty Rights: A say in development and a share in revenues on traditional Aboriginal land, already mapped in Constitutional talks in the 1980's.

On a day of apology, it is a relief to also be able to see a way to peaceful resolution. There are too many issues to ignore.

It was a day for the Elders. It was successful, and well done, I believe.

And I too apologize to them for all the generations of pain, and for the children who did not survive.

We didn't do it, but knowing it, we cannot ignore it. • Rudyard Griffiths • RW Johnson I thought it was beautiful. • Sarah Cook • Scott Brison Well done Canada. • Scott Van Wynsberghe • Sheila Fraser by ZeeBC • Stefan Theil Jun 12 2008 If the apology is accepted thats fine. • Stephen LeDrew 1:16 AM • Susan Martinuk If the transfer of billions cements closure thats great. • Sylvain Abitbol and Moshe Ronen • Sylvain Charlebois But why a $60 million 5 year cross country tour looking • Tarek Fatah for more skeletons in closets? • Terence Corcoran • Terry O’Neill Madness. • Terry O'Neill • The Plank The lawyers got $100 million out of this deal. Will they • Theo Caldwell ever let go? • Tim Cook • TNR by lrodg • Vikram D'Souza Thankfully most people recognize that the business of Jun 12 2008 • Wayne Eyre government extends beyond the techno-managerial 12:34 PM • Yoni Goldstein functions of road building and army raising.

What a bunch of silly "reasons". Presumably this off-the- cuff, blog-style story won't make it into the print edition.

by canscaper Jun 12 2008 " goal of these schools — social and economic 4:09 PM integration, a proper education, the endowment of job and language skills, health care provision, spiritual uplift — were entirely laudable"

-that wasn't the goal at all. The goal was to keep indian kids away from "our" kids. You've still got your head behind your white picket fence if that's really what you think. They received none of those things: farm animals received better care.

Not just the government, the non-native voting people of canada separated a generation of children from their parents. Those children were not raised, they were herded like cattle.

I agree the apology doesn't help, adn neither does the payouts to individuals. There is no easy to fix to the current aboriginal problem, you seem to think there was never a problem.

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Hand over your children at the young ages of 5 and under, let us send them to a school where children receive the same level of attention and care that those children received, then we'll send them back to you, and you tell me of they return undamaged. You can't. You wouldn't.

Your article is repugnant.

by academic Jun 12 2008 Tell me Sir, where does your knowledge source derive 8:51 PM from? You state that no apology, no matter how contrite, is ever deemed sufficient. Well Sir, how do you know this? The words, I'm Sorry carry much weight in my building, maintaining and strengthening of relationships. What world did you state you were from? What scholarly work on earth did you derive this knowledge, or is it only available on your planet? Perhaps, you have personal experience with it, has your familial or cultural background included genocide, has your family and culture been wiped out because others viewed them as inferior, as 'savages'. Tell me Sir, why don't you reveal your source of knowledge, so as I may assess your ability to be a rationalize human because right now I just think you must be from outer space.

On your planet, do you not love your children, do you not see them as gifts, here for us to protect, love, and nurture? Would it be o.k. with you that I come to your planet and scoop up all your children, bring them back to my planet, change their language, identity, ways of thinking and knowledge, force them to fear a new God, one that punishes them for their sins. In the case of Aboriginal peoples, their sins were just that they were viewed as difference, but worse that different, as inferior, as savages. And when I take your children, you must realize you may never see them again, and if you do, they will now be foreign to you. How would that be for the parents in your family and community? Would you tell the grieving mothers, that the scoop is laudible because they are getting a better education and a new religion, because we are an inferior group? Would you really? Tell the truth!

Jonathan, I think this article is exactly why journalists should not try to make news, they should instead try to report it. You have shown in so many respects your ignorance on the subject at hand, it would be hard to know even where to begin with you. To begin with, the Residential Schools did not do well in educating the students, they trained them more to do hard labor than learn academics as comparible to what was provided non -Aboriginal children in Canada. Yes, they learned religion, and in doing so, lost spirituality, as both do not necessarily go hand in hand. This new God was the tool used to make students feel shame. It justifies punishments and cruel treatment because they were innocent to the way that they were viewed in the world. Really, Jonathan is this view of child rearing really laudible in your world. Please tell me where you are located because I want to make sure I don't come for a visit

Nancy2

Jonathan Kay debates American "conscientious objector" Corey Glass on the BBC Web site by Jonathan Kay

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June 10, 2008, 9:53 TAGS: Jonathan Kay 21 Comments AM June 08, Justin Trudeau: The Charter of Rights applies to space 2008, 12:06 aliens by Jonathan Kay PM TAGS: Jonathan Kay 53 Comments Jonathan Kay on race, sex, oratory and corporate June 04, plutocracy: Four lessons from Barack Obama's victory by 2008, 4:00 Jonathan Kay PM TAGS: Jonathan Kay 3 Comments June 03, Jonathan Kay on enemies of marijuana legalization — and 2008, 3:46 their specious odes to alcohol by Marni Soupcoff PM TAGS: Jonathan Kay 32 Comments

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