It's interesting that you would bring up the residential schools, because in my class today we were talking about the residential schools. These are second-year criminology students. I asked how many in the class had heard of residential schools, and virtually everybody had. Then I asked what was their notion, one thing they thought they knew for sure about residential schools, and just in polling that one group who are studying criminology, the amount of inaccuracy and error was high, and there was even some denial that things had really happened. It was good that there was a climate where that could be said out loud, so we could talk about it and deal with it.
I was sharing with them that after six years now of being involved in the alternative hearing process, and hearing mainly elderly people, sometimes on deathbeds, talking about their residential school experiences, I understood deeply that what they mainly want is an opportunity to tell their story and to hear the apology, as opposed to anything financial. If there is something financial that they're looking for, it's in relation to things they want to give to families they're leaving behind. There's that deep need for healing and to be heard. The wonderful thing about that process, even though it has its limitations, is it does give an uninterrupted time for the story and the things that are evoked.
I was trying to explain to my students what is evoked in those meetings. It disturbed me at the beginning of those hearings when sometimes, if something came out that wasn't in the written report they had submitted--the tick box wasn't filled out and something came out--they were sending that back to the investigators. A number of those protested that and said, “No, the story needs to come out. These are truths that are coming out.” This is evoking really deep hurt and pain and shame, and all the things you were just describing.
I can't speak to the healing fund specifically because I don't have knowledge of it, but I do want to leave this committee with certainly my view that there is a deep need for healing kinds of things. I hope it's positively framed, though. I hope that maybe this report can celebrate the gifts that aboriginal people have to give our whole nation in terms of what they understand is needed for us all. My understanding of restorative justice is deeply embedded with aboriginal traditions--not only that tradition, but how can that be celebrated in ways that we in Canada and as nations can find healing, collaborative and restorative ways to communicate and grow together?
I hope your report will do that in positive ways so that we can celebrate the gifts we have from first nations.