Pope Francis meets with Indigenous Canadians at the Vatican next week. They're expecting nothing less than a public apology from him for the abuse suffered by Indigenous children at church-run boarding schools.
More than 150,000 native children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century until the 1970s in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes and culture, Christianize and assimilate them into mainstream society, which previous governments considered superior.
Fontaine, 77, said he and his classmates suffered physical and sexual abuse when he was a boy at the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School in Manitoba, where he was forbidden from seeing family except for two hours on Sundays even though they lived nearby.“Finally Canadians are saying, ‘Oh, so it’s true. This is what happened at residential schools,’” he added. “And I think it put a lot of pressure on the Catholic Church and the Vatican.
Nationwide, the commission identified about 3,200 confirmed deaths at residential schools amid poor conditions, some from tuberculosis, but noted that the cause of death was not recorded for almost half of them. Standard practice was not to send the bodies of the students who died back to their communities; the commission said the government wanted to keep costs down.
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology over the residential schools in Parliament in 2008, calling them a sad chapter in Canadian history and saying the policy of forced assimilation caused great harm.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Innovation School Teachers, Leaders Fear Changes After Denver School Board VoteThe Denver School Board voted to approve a proposal impacting the district’s innovation schools.
Read more »
Philly’s $3.9 billion school budget approved to immediate backlashThe Philadelphia school board was expected to approve the broad outlines of a $3.9 billion spending plan Thursday night, but faced backlash from educators who say despite millions in new investments, their schools will see significant cuts in 2022-23.
Read more »
Michigan school board president removed after she's accused of beating treasurer“She grabbed the top of my head and then slammed my head into the table and started punching my head,' said Flint board treasurer and member Laura MacIntyre.
Read more »
Biden Boasts Popularity in Europe as Americans Question LeadershipPresident Joe Biden boasted Thursday of his popularity in Europe after meeting with leaders of NATO in Brussels.
Read more »
Biden calls for regime change in Russia: Putin 'cannot remain in power'President Joe Biden declared forcefully Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin should no longer be the leader of his country.
Read more »
Pa. teachers union calls on auditor general to rethink his plan to close school audit bureauThe union leader called this sudden move announced Wednesday that shifts the responsibility for school audits to the state Department of Education on April 22 'an irresponsible action.'
Read more »