REPARATIONS FOR ALL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL STUDENTS BY ALFONSO AMESTOSO

By Alfonso Amestoso | For Walling’s Blogspot | Posted May 10^th, 2019 | 10:38 AM

Photo taken by Alfonso Amestoso to represent the money being given to pay off indigenous survivors of residential schools.

 The Canadian government is using money as a way of saying “sorry” to residential school survivors, and I don’t think that is enough. The Canadian federal government decided on November 23^rd of 2018 that they will pay $2 billion in reparations to survivors. The unprecedented deal includes a $10,000 “common experience” to the living students who attended the residential schools, and additional $3000 for every year the students attended, about $200 million of funding for healing and educational programs.

 Although this deal seems to be a good idea to some survivors or that they find it satisfying, other survivors feel insulted, and I can agree with them. You can’t just take away young indigenous children from their family and assimilate them by taking away their culture, language, and abusing them, then later realize that it was wrong and then decide to give them money.  Also, what about the students that have gone missing or have been murdered while attending the residential schools, how will their families feel or react after hearing this deal? According to Mike Benson, Executive Director of the National Residential School Survivor Society (NRSSS), “that the government of Canada wants closure on this, and that they want to close this chapter of history. It reflects on them in the international community that it’s Canada, guardian of human rights and its natives are still fighting for compensation.” Although the government of Canada is giving a huge amount of money to the survivors and some of them are happy with it, there is not enough money in the world that can bring back what they have taken away. Money cannot bring back the culture and the language that have been removed from the thousands former residential school survivors that were taken away from their families.

What the Canadian government should do instead of just giving money to survivors is to educate the younger generations about the residential schools and to include this part history in schools. Also set programs and conventions that will allow survivors to share their stories talk about their experiences while attending at the residential schools. Talking about the residential

schools may a hard topic to a lot of people, but it is important that Canadians don’t just forget about it. We should continue to remember those who lost their lives while attending at the residential school and give support to the survivors that are still healing.

Works Cited

 “Canada Arrives at Controversial Reparations Agreement.” Cultural Survival, www.culturalsurvival.org/news/canada-arrives-controversial-reparations-agreement.

Schiedel, Bonnie. “Canada Arrives at Controversial Reparations Agreement.” Cultural Survival, www.culturalsurvival.org/news/canada-arrives-controversial-reparations-agreement.