Canada's First Indigenous Governor General Pledges to Help Heal Nation
Voice of America
OTTAWA - The first Indigenous Canadian to assume the post of governor general addressed the public in her first language, Inuktitut, on Tuesday, and promised to work toward healing the nation at what she described as an "especially reflective time."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of Mary Simon, a former ambassador, journalist and Inuit community activist, to the largely ceremonial post that serves as the representative in Canada of its head of state, Queen Elizabeth. "We are honored to have Ms. Simon as Canada's first Indigenous governor general," Trudeau said. The queen's Twitter account said she had approved the appointment on the prime minister's recommendation. Canada has been grappling with the legacy of its treatment of Indigenous people, particularly in recent months. Since May, hundreds of unmarked graves of children have been discovered at former residential schools, run for Indigenous children forcibly separated from their families in what a Truth and Reconciliation Commission has called "cultural genocide."More Related News