In a rare and celebratory act, Scouts Canada formally apologized to the country’s Indigenous population for its association with the residential school system. In a published letter, the organization admits it has “not always been a safe and inclusive place” for all young people, particularly First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
The head of this organization, founded in 1914, also points out that the letter published on October 3 is part of the desire over the past two years to study the history of Scouting in Canada, particularly the period of the 19th and 20th centuries in which activities took place , to reassess were organized by the movement in residential schools and day schools for Aboriginal people.
“We found that our principles were sometimes explicitly abused in Aboriginal residential and day schools to strip Aboriginal people of their cultural identity,” Scouts CEO Liam Burns said in a telephone interview. Canada.
Today he says he deeply regrets the harm and historical injustice that this institution allegedly inflicted on children and families over decades. “In the coming weeks we will be meeting with Indigenous communities across Canada to apologize,” Mr. Burns assured.
We recognize that we believe our movement has played a direct role in the eradication of Indigenous cultures within the geographical boundaries of what we now call Canada.
The 37-year-old, who has been at the helm of the organization for six months, added that for an organization like Scouts Canada, whose principles are based on values such as respect and kindness, it is time to address history first, as painful as it is.
We cannot move forward if we do not recognize our mistakes. Unfortunately, alongside the church, we were part of an acculturation plan for the Aborigines that still has consequences today.
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Liam Burns is CEO of Scouts Canada.
Photo: Scouts Canada
Mr Burns also wants to go beyond a simple apology and reach out to Indigenous communities, but he is not currently talking about financial compensation for the victims and their families.
“We are still at the very beginning of a process,” he said. We want Indigenous people to take part in exploring together what compensation might look like for the harm we have caused them.
Commitments on the table
He indicated his Ottawa-based organization will soon implement programs that will enable First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth to feel safe with Scouts Canada.
Scouting has contributed to numerous abuses against indigenous peoples in the name of colonialism and imperialism. We want to make sure something like this never happens again.
The revised Scouting programs would primarily include celebrating Indigenous identities, while others would focus on learning, the leader assured.
Apologies are just a first step toward authentic and sincere collaboration between populations. “For example, we will open positions so that there are more indigenous people in our teams and among our volunteers,” he said.
The leader said he has already spoken to several Indigenous representatives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We cannot predict how every community across Canada will respond, but those we have met remain open to the idea of long-term collaboration with our organization. “This is very encouraging,” he concluded.