Many residential schools in Canada refuse to accept Canada PM Trudeau's apology

#JustinTrudeau, #Canada, #NewfoundlandandLabrador,  #residentialschools'survivors, #InnuNation, #MountCashelOrphanage, #Toby Obed, #GregoryRich

​Happy Valley-Goose, N.L., Nov 24 (Canadian-Media): Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., this morning to formally apologize to residential schools' survivors of  in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of a $50-million class-action settlement between Ottawa and survivors in the province, media reports said.

Native American Residential Schools. Image credit:  Pinterest

But not everyone will accept the apology. According to reports. Innu Nation reportedly argue that besides residential schools, Innu people have suffered under other institutions, like Mount Cashel Orphanage, and the provincial child protection system which still exists today.
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"Our Elders are not ready to accept an apology that is made for such a small part of our experience," Grand Chief Gregory Rich was reported by media to state.

"Frankly, I don't think Canada is truly ready to make an apology to Innu if it does not include recognition of other damages done to our people – I'm not satisfied that Canada understands yet what it has done to Innu and what it is still doing."

An inquiry had been planned into the treatment of Innu children currently under the province's care, but reportedly no date has yet been set for it to proceed.

Ottawa had said that federal representatives would only support the inquiry and not be attending it.  That included a pledge of $250,000 to support the inquiry.

The Innu Nation and the province are still working on the details of the pending inquiry.

Toby Obed, who helped fight for the apology, is also hesitating. “I’m the one that is going to be accepting the apology on behalf of all the residential school survivors. I’ll be the one who will say, ‘Yes, we accept,’ or ‘No, we don’t,’” Obed said. “And if I don’t like his words, no, I’m sorry, I’m not taking the apology."

Obed was three when he was sent to a residential school; Pierre Trudeau was prime minister.

Reporting by Asha Bajaj