A page turned all too quickly

Page 6

Something happened this month that made us wonder just what the federal government is up to now.

When we received a press release from Edmonton's Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture which announced Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart was in town, well, the editorial eyebrows headed for the roof. We were shocked by the reason for the visit which was, in part, to present the gallery with a framed copy of the Statement of Reconciliation.

We thought this a presumptuous move and a premature attempt to turn the page of history, trying to close the chapter on Indian residential schools by enshrining the document as an artifact in a Canadian museum. It reminded us of something researcher Roland Chrisjohn told us back in January. He warned us the whole statement was an attempt to turn the page and rid the political landscape of the embarrassing horrors of Canada's assimilation policies.

There has been reluctant acceptance of the statement by the Assembly of First Nations. But other groups, such as the Native Women's Association, have yet to find much value in it. Grassroots support of the statement is limited, if the comments left on our response line are typical.

Visitors to the gallery, especially those people whose only knowledge of the residential school experience will come from the gallery exhibits themselves, will come away with the feeling that the issue has been resolved and all is well between Aboriginal people and Canada.

We can't agree with that until the promises of Gathering Strength, Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan have been fulfilled.

One of those promises was to educate the non-Aboriginal public about the history of Canada's assimilation efforts and their effects on Aboriginal people. This process has yet to begin except for the dubious impression that gallery visitors will gather as they gaze on the framed copy of the reconciliation statement.

To us, this looks like another effort by government to shove its will down the throats of Aboriginal people. If this is the action of a government making an effort to change, it does not bode well.