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Formal reconciliation efforts in Canada were initiated in 1998 when the Federal Government responded to the Commission’s report on Indigenous Affairs. The process aimed to improve the experience of indigenous peoples in the field of child welfare, education, and culture. Reconciliation refers to actions taken to address the harm to boarding schools caused by various colonization programs and policies. There are different opinions about reconciliation, and some believe that this program will give people the opportunity to understand, rethink and correct the mistakes made in the past. Others believe that these actions are meaningless and are only aimed at creating an impression on people.
The reconciliation process marked excellent prospects in the development of Canadian public policy and migration issues. For the implementation of the reconciliation program, it was necessary to use the assistance of the state and politicians as much as possible since there are a large number of problems and tasks that need to be solved in order to implement this project. For a long time, politicians have viewed indigenous peoples as an unsolvable problem. Newhouse (2016) argues that this group of people has long been attacked for their lands, culture, economy, and identity. The Government of Canada set the goal of moving the Indians from their native territories and spent large sums of money on this (Barrera, 2018). This attitude of the government led the native Canadians to the destruction of families, poor health, and economic difficulties, which have been documented in detail. Moreover, all of these factors have had a negative impact on the relationship between indigenous people and other Canadians, within their families as well as breaching the best interests of the child.
One of the areas of the reconciliation program was the provision of medical care to indigenous children, both on and off the reservation. It has been observed that the health care ordinance is not being implemented; Barrera et al. (2018) state that the Department of Health Canada and the Department of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada continue to restrict health care for children. The tribunal further noted that Canada is implementing the principle of helping only children with disabilities without providing psychological support to children affected by abuse. There is an opinion that two girls committed suicide because they were not provided with proper medical and psychological assistance (Barrera, 2018). Since there was no monitoring of the tasks set, the tribunal again ordered the Ministry of Health of Canada to provide service to all indigenous children. The tribunal also set deadlines for the execution of all previous requests for financial assistance to children, which were rejected back in 2009 (Barrera, 2018). Some of these requests were denied because they had no grounds, and later the tribunal issued an order to provide services to indigenous children who need them.
Another offer of assistance was the adoption of Aboriginal children, which was called The Sixties Scoop. This proposal was set out in a report by Patrick Johnston and was subsequently published (Sinclair, 2009). The proposal to adopt Aboriginal children was aimed at addressing the issue of child welfare, as well as protecting them from being abducted from their communities without their parents’ knowledge. Unfortunately, this program was not official; Sinclair (2007) claims that The Sixties Scoop has evolved and now applies to the entire era of Aboriginal child welfare. Currently, social workers are actively engaged in this program and help children find their safe homes and family.
In order for this program to lead to a positive result, specific considerations must be observed, for example, respect for indigenous peoples, accepting responsibility, and compliance with treaties. Reconciliation is a complex, ongoing process that requires humility, commitment, and learning about the history of Native Canadians, as well as their culture and traditions (What Reconciliation Is And What Is Not 2018). The best effect will result in the wide dissemination of the idea of this project and its goals. There are different communities, such as Reconciliation Canada, which aim to spread the message of reconciliation throughout the country (Kastner & Trudel, n.d.). The community has started planning seminars and information initiatives to help spread the message of reconciliation. Reconciliation Canada worked with various educational institutions to promote awareness of racist attitudes towards native Canadians, boarding schools, and the negative effects of colonization. It is important to tell people that this is not just the story of the natives, but of the whole of Canada, and this is necessarily a story that concerns all Canadians (Nova Scotia Government, 2019). Spreading this idea will bring results and improve the situation of many people.
In conclusion, the project to reconcile indigenous people with other Canadians is a complex and lengthy process. It must still exist and continue because children need the help of the population and the state. To support the reconciliation program, I would attend local meetings, participate in events, learn the language and traditions of the indigenous people, and organize a charity event to raise funds for the communities.
References
Barrera J. et al. (2018). Beyond 94. CBCNews.
Kastner P. & Trudel R.E. (n.d). Canada’s progress shows indigenous reconciliation is a long-term process. The Conversation.
Newhouse, D. (2016) Indigenous peoples, Canada and the possibility of reconciliation. IRPP Insight.
Nova Scotia Government. (2019). We are all treaty people [Video].
Sinclair R. (2007). Identity lost and found: Lessons from the sixties scoop. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 3(1), 65-82.
What Reconciliation Is And What Is Not. (2018). Indigenous Corporate Training.
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