Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The challenge of reconciliation • 265Although societal empathy for Aboriginal victims of abuse in residential schools isimportant, this alone will not prevent similar acts of violence from recurring in newinstitutional forms. There is a need for a clear and public recognition that Aboriginalpeoples must be seen and treated as much more than just the beneficiaries of publicgood will. As holders of Treaty, constitutional, and human rights, they are entitled tojustice and accountability from Canada to ensure that their rights are not violated.In his initial report, tabled in August of 2012, Pablo de Greiff, the first un SpecialRapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence, pointed out that in countries where prosecuting individual perpetratorsof criminal acts involving human rights violations has been difficult, other measuressuch as truth-seeking forums, reparations, and institutional reforms are especiallycritical. Such measures enable victims of state violence to develop some confidence inthe legitimacy and credibility of the state’s justice system. But de Greiff cautions thatimplementing these measures alone does not guarantee that reconciliation will follow.Apologies, commemoration, public memorials, and educational reform are alsorequired in order to transform social attitudes and foster long-term reconciliation. 57The Treaty, constitutional, and human rights violations that occurred in andaround the residential school system confirm the dangers that exist for Aboriginalpeoples when their right to self-determination is ignored or limited by the state,which purports to act “in their best interests.” Historically, whenever Aboriginal peopleshave been targeted as a specific group that is deemed by government to be inneed of protective legislation and policies, the results have been culturally and ethnicallydestructive.For Aboriginal peoples in Canada, the protection and exercise of their right toself-determination is the strongest antidote to further violation of their rights. In thecoming years, governments must remain accountable for ensuring that Aboriginalpeoples’ rights are protected and that government actions do, in fact, repair trust andfoster reconciliation. Repairing trust begins with an apology, but it involves far morethan that.Moving from apology to actionFrom the outset, this Commission has emphasized that reconciliation is not a onetimeevent; it is a multi-generational journey that involves all Canadians. The publicapologies and compensation to residential school Survivors, their families, andcommunities by Canada and the churches that ran the residential schools markedthe beginning, not the end, of this journey. Survivors needed to hear governmentand church officials admit that the cultural, spiritual, emotional, physical, and sexual