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	Prime Minister's Statement on Residential School Apology Opinion 250 June 11, 2008 http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/9642/3/prime+minister%92s+statement+on+residential+school+apology Prince George, B.C. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a historic apology today for more than a century of abuse and cultural loss involving Indian residential schools. "The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal Peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly, we are sorry." Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. That they were to kill the Indian in the child.'" "Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm and has no place in our country." Premier Gordon Campbell called the survivors and those before them the "stolen generation who were taken from their families as children, they were held captive from their culture and communities. They were robbed of all that is irreplaceable - their youth, their innocence, and their sense of who they were and where they came from." The 1998 statement under the Jean Chretien government was seen by native organizations as a legal attempt to make amends, however lawsuits and class-action claims would follow that ultimately settled with a compensation package of $4 billion. About 150,000 students attended 130 church-run schools where many children were taken from their homes, harshly punished, physically and sexually abused. While many students have stated they had a good education, many were subjected to punishment for acts such as speaking their languages. It's estimated there are more than 80,000 survivors of the residential schools. A 24-hour, toll-free crisis line has been set up for those who are triggered by the memories. 1-866-925-4419.
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