Canadian Catholic aboriginal council calls for reconciliation

Published: 2007-12-12

OTTAWA (CNS) -- The Catholic Aboriginal Council for Reconciliation called on Canadians to "walk together in a path toward reconciliation" in a message marking the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer Dec. 12. The council, established by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998 to link aboriginal and nonaboriginal Catholics, said the journey toward reconciliation would not be easy but discussed recent progress. The council noted the government's agreement reached last year to compensate former boarding school students who were mistreated. Starting in the late 19th century, the Canadian government looked for ways to provide native peoples with education and help them assimilate. The boarding schools, many run by Catholic and other Christian churches, sometimes forbade students from learning or practicing their native traditions. Former students seeking payouts say they were abused physically, sexually or psychologically. "The compensation has begun to be paid to the former students, their families and their communities," the council said. "We know that the financial resources will not be the sole aspect that will result in healing."

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