Residential school survivors, advocates hope Archbishop of Canterbury brings more than apologies to Canada
CBC
Tom Roberts is still recovering from his time at the Prince Albert Indian Residential School run for decades by the Anglican Church.
"Your opinion didn't matter. Your ideas didn't matter. There were three things that we were taught there: Do what you're told, what to do and how to do it. And don't ask questions or you'll get a smack, or worse," Roberts said.
"For many years, I couldn't say 'I love you' to my kids. Why? I didn't know what it was."
Roberts heard a rumour a couple of weeks ago that the religious head of the global Anglican Church was coming to Canada, possibly even Saskatchewan. A few days ago, Anglican officials confirmed Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby would be coming to the James Smith Cree Nation, east of Prince Albert, Sask., this weekend.
Roberts, a member of the Lac la Ronge Indian Band, said he's planning to make the four-hour trip, but is frustrated survivors were left guessing about details of the visit until the last second.
"All of sudden he's like, 'I'm coming.' They're setting their own agenda," Roberts said.
No one from the Anglican Church of Canada was available for an interview Thursday, but Welby released a written statement Wednesday in advance of the visit, which also includes a stop in Toronto on Monday.
"A significant purpose of this visit is therefore to repent and atone for where our relationships and actions have done more harm than good — and to honour the sovereignty of Indigenous communities," Welby wrote.
Roberts is glad Welby is "showing some interest," but said an apology is meaningless without action.
"Reconciliation will never start until someone apologizes and then does something about it," he said.
Saskatoon Cree lawyer and former Truth and Reconciliation Commission general counsel Donald Worme agrees.
"What exactly is an apology? Is it simply public relations? Is it feel good?" Worme said. "Deal with some of the historic impacts that they have been involved in as the Anglican Church. That would actually be meaningful."
The Anglican Church was one of four Christian denominations operating Canada's residential schools for more than a century. The Roman Catholic Church ran the majority of the schools, but 36 of them were Anglican.
Top Canadian Anglican officials apologized in 1993 and again in 2019 for the Church's role in the schools. Canada's Roman Catholic Bishops first apologized collectively last fall.
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