Canada's Trudeau Apologizes After Skipping Ceremony for Indigenous School Victims
Canada's Trudeau Apologizes After Skipping Ceremony for Indigenous School Victims
Canada's Trudeau, Apologizes After Skipping Ceremony, for Indigenous School Victims. NPR reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered an apology to Indigenous leaders after skipping the country's first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
NPR reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered an apology to Indigenous leaders after skipping the country's first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day of recognition, approved by Canada's parliament in the spring, is meant as a remembrance for Indigenous victims and survivors of state-run residential schools.
The day of recognition, approved by Canada's parliament in the spring, is meant as a remembrance for Indigenous victims and survivors of state-run residential schools.
On October 18, Trudeau visited the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation to offer his apology to Chief Rosanne Casimir.
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I am here today to say I wish I had been here a few weeks ago, and I deeply regret it.
Instead of talking about truth and reconciliation, people talked about me, and that's on me.
I take responsibility for that, Justin Trudeau, via NPR.
I am here today to say I wish I had been here a few weeks ago, and I deeply regret it.
Instead of talking about truth and reconciliation, people talked about me, and that's on me.
I take responsibility for that, Justin Trudeau, via NPR.
NPR reports that Canada's residential school system forcibly separated about 150,000 Indigenous children from their families from 1831 until the 1990s.
NPR reports that Canada's residential school system forcibly separated about 150,000 Indigenous children from their families from 1831 until the 1990s.
Many of those children were subjected to starvation and physical and sexual abuse.
Casimir said the First Nations sent two invitations to Trudeau's office asking him to attend the ceremony.
According to Casimir, the ceremony was a way for Trudeau to show his , "commitment to rectifying the historical wrongs of residential schools and to grieve with our residential school survivors.".
According to Casimir, the ceremony was a way for Trudeau to show his , "commitment to rectifying the historical wrongs of residential schools and to grieve with our residential school survivors.".
The prime minister's official itinerary placed him in private meetings in Ottawa on the day of the ceremony.
It was later revealed that Trudeau was, in fact, on vacation with his family in Tofino on Vancouver Island.
It was later revealed that Trudeau was, in fact, on vacation with his family in Tofino on Vancouver Island
