How is reconciliation going to happen in Canada?
Reconciliation wont come by merely money and empty promises  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission defined Reconciliation: Establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. There has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgment of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.  This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser. Back to video  Participants may have different understandings of what reconciliation is and what they want to happen. Sandlanee Gid is an instructor of reconciliation studies at the University of British Columbia. She wisely says, Reconciliation means you had a good relationship to begin with and then reconciling, but the relationship has never been good.  Indigenous are the most forgiving people but trust has been broken over and over. So we must start from square one. That wont begin until the truth is thoroughly accepted of the harm that has been continuously inflicted, then genuine atonement can begin. Show us no more empty words of reconciliation; show us real action by changing your behaviour. Only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future we are all proud to embrace, says Deb Haalan, U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Forgiveness must come first, but reconciliation wont automatically follow until trust is regained. Listen to the truth first from Indigenous who endure the insults and broken promises. Reconciliation must not only be desired, but striven for with every word, every action taken. It will be a long process and non-Indigenous need to understand what went on in residential schools, what early colonists and Canadian government leaders said about Indigenous people. If we are able to reconcile with Indigenous it will take a great deal of trust building  They will find them no better than American racist segregationists they point fingers at.