Cultural Genuine Reconciliation

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In 2008, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the IRS system, which most Canadians supported. However, without real change the apology amounts to little. While the government admits wrongdoing, the institutions that committed the crime, from the mainline churches to the RCMP to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, continue to preserve their power. Genuine reconciliation could be at the adoption of a new form of bi-nationalism, between the Aboriginal peoples and the colonizers. A bi-national relationship will inevitably imply a reworking of dominant institutions and narratives foster power sharing. Another way in that the reconciliation might proceed is through the official recognition and promotion of Aboriginal languages, not only for Aboriginal peoples but for …show more content…

Furthermore, a central means of protecting and asserting Aboriginal rights is naturally through self-government, not Indian Act colonialism but a return to more traditional forms of governance and away from chief and council and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (MacDonald 318).
Examining the definition of cultural genocide and the relevance of the genocide convention depicts an amalgamation, in which we can call upon both of these for a cohesive understanding. Although Article 2 of the UN CPPCG constitutes a useful baseline from where we can begin to think about reframing our understanding of Canadian history, the understanding above all that the Canadian Residential School system was aimed at the destruction of Indigenous culture rather than just physical extermination. Therefore, the idea of culture genocide or ethnocide is still a useful as a supplementary lens and offers us a greater awareness of the injustices committed against the Aboriginal people. As of October 19th, 2015 Canada has had a shift of governance from Stephen Harper to Justin Trudeau. Harper’s

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