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| Truth and Reconciliation: It's about Respect A truth commission or Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a commission tasked with discovering past wrong doing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past. This commission has a mandate to learn the truth about what happened in the residential schools and to inform all Canadians about what happened in the schools. The Commission will document the truth of what happened by relying on records held by those who operates and funded the schools, testimony from officials of the institutions that operated the schools and experiences reported by survivors, their families, communities and personally affected by the residential school experience and its subsequent impacts. Truth and Reconciliation Commission was developed to improve the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians by signing onto the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). TRC addresses issues such as culture, identity, language, health and education and provides guidance to States, the United Nations, and other international organizations on harmonious, cooperative relationships with Indigenous peoples. It is based on principles of equality, partnership, good faith and mutual respect. `The TRC was formed as a result of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. The Commission is gathering statements and documents relevant to the Residential School system, while raising awareness of this shared history through a series of national events, community events, research and commemoration initiatives. NIMFA ROSARIO |
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Phil Fontaine He is a noble man who has strong affections with the race he belong. He is from descended Métis as his native status. Fontaine attended a residential school at Sagkeeng, Assiniboia Residential School in Winnipeg and graduated from Powerview Collegiate in 1961. He started handling political position as chief of Sagkeeng community twice. Then followed by as vice chief for Manitoba Assembly of First Nation after he graduated a Bachelor of Arts in degree in political studies. Become chief of Assembly of Manitoba for three terms. By 1997 he elected as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nation, and second term in 2003. Re-elected for the third term in 2006. Phil Fontaine is also the negotiator of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, including the notification of Truth and Reconciliation Commission by the Federal government in May 2006. Which presently specific demand by Aboriginal people. At present acts as “Special Advisor” to the Royal Bank of Canada. His mandate is to provide advice and counsel RBC's Canadian businesses to help company, relationship with Aboriginal government and communities. Fontaine goals are purely for the welfare of the Aboriginal people to be a valued member of the Canadian society. Phil Fontaine is public defender of Aboriginal people of Canada. He is the representative of the First Nation in the highest position as National Chief of the Assembly. Leader who lead the opposition of the Meech Lake Accord. Lead to resolve land claim of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation resulting to a Million agreements for the Saskatchewan band. He is also the negotiator to bring the five billion Kelowna Accord with the Liberal government, aimed at improving living conditions and education for aboriginal people. Negotiator of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement means a financial contribution of more than five billion dollars to survivors and program for the aboriginal. Promote the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and ratified by the Federal Conservative government. He is also presently “Special Advisor” to Royal Bank of Canada Mandate to provide advice and counsel to RBCs Canadian business to help the company deepen its relationships with Aboriginal government. Beyond that achievement how can Aboriginal people can forget this man whose intend was purely for the welfare of Aboriginal people called First Nation. Fontaine deal aimed to improve the living conditions and education of aboriginal people. He successfully negotiated the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) which means a financial contribution to survivors who will be benefited. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement also includes a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was also ratified by the Federal Conservative Agreement and will establish and independent tribunal to adjudicate Specific Land Claims. Through the effort of Fontaine as a Chief of National Assembly of the First Nation brought out their suffering, injustices, discrimination, Abuses violation of human rights, religious persecution, cultural destruction and mass abduction of children. He claims this expose be an assertion open to challenge. This conduct is exposed and addressed begin to build a fence around it and move confidently and purposefully toward the full achievement of equality, dignity and respect as Aboriginal people. They didn't satisfy with apology rendered by higher officials alone. Their demands is truth and reconciliation and have offer forgiveness and accompanying healing emotional release of pain and suffering and embrace one's perpetrators. DAISY ALBERTO |
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| Elijah Harper Elijah Harper, politician (b at Red Sucker Lake, Man). Harper is most well known for the role he played in scuttling the Meek Lake Accord. In 1990 Harper rose to national prominence for his opposition to the Meech Lake Accord. Harper initiated procedural delays in the Manitoba legislature that threatened to extend the vote beyond the deadline established for the accord. Meech Lake Accord, Québec's failure to accept the patriation package in 1981 made it feel severed from the Canadian "constitutional family." This led to renewed constitutional discussions, beginning around 1985, in which the government of Québec made a series of proposals that, if accepted by all, would have led to Québec's return to the "constitutional family." In the interim, Québec was as legally bound as all of the provinces by the provisions of the Canada Act of 1982 and of its Schedule B, the Constitution Act of 1982. Hence, the Québec proposals, although full of substance, also assumed a great symbolic significance. The Québec proposals could be divided into 2 components. The first dealt with the distinctiveness of Québec in the Canadian federation, and the second with a potpourri of other matters. These other matters arguably tended to enhance the role of the provinces in their relationship with the federal government. Not surprisingly, then, when Québec proposed this package, including the latter portion, which enhanced the role of the provinces, all of the provinces initially agreed to the package under a principle of "juridical equality." This package became known as the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord of 1987. The Accord recognized the province of Québec as constituting a distinct society within Canada. At the same time, it recognized as a fundamental characteristic of Canada the Anglophone minority in Québec, and elsewhere in Canada the francophone minority. The provinces were, for the first time, given a formal role in nominating persons to sit on certain federal institutions (namely, the Senate and the Supreme Court of Canada). For some time, social programs falling within provincial legislative jurisdiction (health care, for example) had largely been financed by the federal government: the federal government held greater taxing power, and hence possessed greater spending ability than the provinces. Provincial concerns with this related to federal attachments of conditions to this financing. Under the Accord, a province could opt out of one of these programs provided it established its own, and provided its own program had objectives compatible with the national objectives of the program. In such a case, the federal government would continue to finance the new provincial program with reasonable compensation. Under the Constitution Act of 1867, the provinces and the federal government were given joint or parallel jurisdiction over immigration, leading to a series of agreements on the settlement of new immigrants in Canada. BERNICE CRYSTEL BARE PORLET Every individual expresses thought and carries its affair through the medium of communication .It is an art and techniques of using words effectively to impart informations. Communication can affect the relationship of families and friends. There must be a good communication between parents and children .Conflicts between them starts if there is a poor communication. I am one of the typical Filipino now living in Canada .based on my observation there is already a difference in culture between the generation that were born here and the typical born Filipino. The relationship between the parents and children were affected by a communication gap. A child born here can easily adopt with the culture and the language spoken while the parents need some times to adopt or used it. Communication had a great impact on the culture. Understanding of it will help us more to easily communicate with others. Now that I am living here in Canada knowing the culture such as understanding the way of life and traditions here will be a great move of communicating. When it comes to food preference, there is a big deal since the Filipino born Canadians loves the Canadian foods parents and adults tried hard to trained them to eat Filipino dishes, but yet craving for Canadian dishes is always there. In this regard, parents should remember that no matter how busy they are they should still try very hard so that every family can still keep our tradition and culture. Alexander Tan Sison |
