Canada: Reckoning with its Cultural Genocide History!!!

Recently, Canadians woke up to the gruesome reality of their government committing cultural genocide with an outsized hand from the Catholic Church. The recent discovery of the remains of 215 Native American or native children in British Columbia, Canada has led to calls to further investigate atrocities committed against indigenous communities across the country.

“We have to acknowledge the truth. Residential schools were a reality,” said Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. Of note: Before the government took over, most schools were operated by various churches. “There’s no question that the church was involved with this,” said Rev. Larry Lynn, a priest with the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver. “The church was in charge of that institution.”

Sadly, Canada is not the only Western nation that committed atrocities against natives. One does not need to look further to see what the British colonialists did on the island of Tasmania. The treatment of the aboriginal people in Australia and in New Zealand, to a slightly lesser extent, is well documented. And yes, don’t get me started on what took place in the U.S.

What we need to know and learn from history is that the atrocities committed provided the justification for colonialism because if you’re not superior to other people how could you justify invading their countries and stealing it from them.

The question now is: How should Canada and by extension England make it right? An apology is the beginning, but it cannot be the end. It is my opinion that proper compensation, reparation, and cultural reinstatement into the narrative of the history of Canada and indeed other countries is a duty and an obligation. Let’s hope it is done sooner than later.

David Oualaalou is a Geopolitical Consultant, Award Winning Educator, Veteran, Author, and former International Security analyst in Washington, D.C.