Debates of October 19, 2006 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year this Assembly was the first government in Canada to fully support May 26th each year as a National Day of Healing and Reconciliation for residential school survivors and impacted communities. Mr. Speaker, I was very proud of the honourable Members and this government to demonstrate to all of Canada and, more importantly, to the residential school survivors in the Northwest Territories, that we believe that the message was that we believe in them and we offer our support to them in their healing and their forgiveness.

Mr. Speaker, the devastating impact of living in one of those residential schools have profoundly impacted our family lives and destroyed our way of life in the northern communities, life for the Dene and the Metis and the non-aboriginal people. We even had the non-aboriginal people live with us. They were like brothers. But residential school had no discrimination. It impacted everybody in that institution.

Mr. Speaker, only now we are truly beginning to see the serious injustice that happened to the nation of people and the price that was paid for being taken away or forced to attend these residential schools.

Mr. Speaker, it is said that we, as aboriginal people, are a patient people, we’re an understanding nation of communities and that we are survivors to whatever comes our way. We seem to adapt to changes, be they in the education system, learning a whole different way of life, just to make a living. Mr. Speaker, we are reminded that we are the fastest nation in the healing movement to get away from the abuses of the residential school. Given that only in the late 1950s that we as a nation of people were allowed to vote in this great democratic society called Canada, that’s just over 40 years, and were still considered wards of the state under the Indian Act of 1876. Childlike characters, as we were once referred to.

Mr. Speaker, what does this have to do with the residential school? It speaks to the very core of who we are now and who we are as we were characterized by other people. Mr. Speaker, our people are healing from very painful, shameful, and hurting parts of our lives, and the toughest part is that you have to live each day, to reconcile with people in institutions that supported and implemented the residential school policy.

Mr. Speaker, we are once again faced with the various attitudes…

Mr. Yakeleya, your time for Member’s statement is expired.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable colleagues. …faced with various attitudes by people that want to keep our hearts buried and so in sufferance, Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this government to fully support May 26th as the national healing and reconciliation day. I am one of the residential school survivors. Hundreds of them are in the Sahtu region and I will not go back to the dark places of don’t talk, don’t feel, don’t trust. We need to free our people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause