TRC Commissioner changes tune on residential schools as genocide

This was supposed to be a day of celebration for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

APTN National News
This was supposed to be a day of celebration for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Their interim report, released Friday, offered steps for a reconciling Aboriginal people with the rest of Canada. But instead, it was overshadowed by a dramatic turnaround from the TRC’s head Justice Murray Sinclair on the issue of genocide.

APTN National News reporter Rob Smith has this story.

Contribute Button  

12 thoughts on “TRC Commissioner changes tune on residential schools as genocide

  1. Michabou says:

    Wow, post this: I make a strictly editorial revision to my comment and you take advantage of the re-engaged review process to delete it?  My regard for APTN’s integrity is falling – you removed my comment strictly because it was critical of your story in that it described precisely the error you made.  As a news agency, you should promote dialogue and civic engagement, not stifle it.  This is ridiculous.   

  2. please let her story or my story be told thats the least they could do since shes been stoned walled a number of times…she passed in 2002 they settle before she died but till never got her wish for her children that suffered as well never got anything do to all the walls that were put up,broken promises after broken promises…Now this,what more can we take!

  3. THATS MY MOTHER SISTER INLAW MRS NOEL DOUCETTE SPEAKING OUT…IF CANANDA WANTS TO BELIEVE OR NOT IT DID HAPPEN, AND MY MOTHER WAS ONE OF THEM, IM OUTRAGED!! MY MOTHER WAS A ABUSED SUFFERED HER WHOLE LIFE DO TO THE ABUSE…

  4. YOU CAN SEE HER IN ALL THE PICTURES  DOROTHY DOUCETTE SHE LOST THE USE OF HER HAND DO TO ABUSE OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SHE STUGGLED HER WHOLE LIFE JUST TO WRITE WITH HER WRITE HAND! AND NOW THERE TRUTH IS ONCE AGAIN BEING STONED WALLED!

  5. PLEASE MY MOTHER’ DOROTHY DOUCETTE STORY SHOULD BE HEARD!!! SHE SUFFERED SERVELY!! AND SHE NEVER GOT TO SEE ANYTHING DO TO ALL THE ROAD BLOCKS THEY PUT UP OVER AND OVER THEY SETTLED BEFORE SHE PASSED!

  6. You are committing a great disservice with this inaccurate reporting. However, I do believe your heart is in the right place. Justice Sinclair has made it clear he believes this was genocide, but in a legalistic view it will likely not be pursued by any international court or body as a “crime of genocide”.

    Just FYI. 🙂

  7. Isabelle Knockwood3:33pm Feb 27Hi Margaret, How are you doing? I would not take seriously Justice Murray’s change of mind on whether Shubie school committed genocide or not for serveral reasons:1. It is not Justice St. Claires’ role at this time to “make judgements” . His duty right now is to preside over TRC Commission and gather our stories and experiences. That’s a huge job. 2. Our Residential school experiences are the EVIDENCE needed to prove whether residential schooling committed genocide. 3. Next comes public discussions. both aboriginal and non-aboriginal populations are affected and therefore have a voice in the matter of deciding what constitutes Genocide.4. Look up the definition of genocide. It means the destruction of a ‘RACE OF PEOPLE” . I think that means destroying the genes and killing us all off. True, they exterminated 8 Wabanaki tribes but not the Mi’kmaw and Malisseet. Lawyers will discuss this issue for years to come. 5. Genocide comes under International Law. No country is going to accuse itself of genocide and charge itself by taking itself to court.6. the Minister of Indian Affairs has an agenda. Of course he is going to say there was no Genocide at residential schools.7. Genocide will not be discussed in public forum until all the evidence complied. Years from now.8. As for the term ‘cultural genocide” . It’s a contradiction. Destruction of culture is one thing. Destruction of a race is another thing.9. Justice St. Claire knows exactly what he is doing. We should trust him. If he changed his definition of genocide, you can be sure that federal lawyers held heated discussions about it. And it ain’t over yet. But the more people talk about it, the more publicity we get for what happened to us and more sh– will come out in the open. 10. Public discussion is the best thing that can happen for residential school survivors. Just don’t take it personal and have anxiety over it.11. to kill the Indian in the child” is mal-intent. (I don’t know the legal term ) and it is a crime to plan an establishment for purposes of killing in mind is a criminal act. Kill the Indian is to me kill the child. Same thing but to others , it means something else. More discussion is needed here to clarify what’s a crime and what’s not. Google Kevin Annett and you’ll find more views on the Churchs’ intentions. It is awesome!!! I’m no lawyer but these are my views. Take care, I love you. Isabelle

  8. After too many years, we- the survivors of the Residential Schools, have struggled to have our stories heard and believed.  We thought that the time had finally arrived.  Once again, we found ourselves being stone walled.  Was the Truth and Reconciliation just a ruse to buy time?  Am I going to go to my grave like the many others have with broken dreams and broken promises?  Do you know what it is like to live like us?  Does Canada even care about the crimes committed to the many children?    If my skin and heritage had been white, would it then be a crime to do to me what had been done? 

    1. I care. There are many like me who also care and our numbers are growing. This news is heartbreaking…another filthy corrupt action by this filthy corrupt government. We will keep fighting for truth.

Comments are closed.