Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The history • 135Canada’s Aboriginal leaders along with a number of former residential schools students were present on the floorof the House of Commons when Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered his 2008 apology. Clockwise from theleft: former student Don Favel; former student Mary Moonias; former student Mike Cachagee, President of theNational Residential School Survivors Society; former student Crystal Merasty; former student Piita Irniq; PatrickBrazeau, National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples; Mary Simon, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami;Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations; Beverley Jacobs, President of the Native Women’sAssociation of Canada; Clem Chartier, President of the Métis National Council. Former student Marguerite Wabano isobscured by Phil Fontaine’s headdress. Canadian Press: Fred Chartrand.The prime minister was joined by the leaders of the other parties represented in theCanadian House of Commons. The Liberal leader of the opposition, the HonourableStéphane Dion, recognized that the government’s policy had “destroyed the fabric offamily in First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. Parents and children were madeto feel worthless. Parents and grandparents were given no choice. Their children werestolen from them.” 667 The Bloc Québecois leader, the Honourable Gilles Duceppe,asked Canadians to “picture a small village, a small community. Now picture all ofits children, gone. No more children between seven and sixteen playing in the lanesor the woods, filling the hearts of their elders with their laughter and joy.” 668 The NewDemocratic Party leader, the Honourable Jack Layton, called on Canadians to helpreverse the horrific and shameful statistics afflicting Aboriginal populations,now: the high rates of poverty, suicide, the poor or having no education, over-