The debate over the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada erupted with renewed vigor in the country in May 2021 – after the remains of more than two hundred children were found in Kamloops, British Columbia, on the site of a former Indian boarding school. Such boarding schools functioned from the end of the 19th century to the seventies of the 20th. Children from Indian families were sent there forcibly; the pupils were mistreated there, they often died of hunger and infectious diseases.
Indigenous children were humiliated, harassed, and taught to despise their identity. They were forbidden to speak their languages and observe their folk customs. It turns out that Canada pursued a policy of genocide of its people, which no public apologies from the current authorities can correct. It seems that such information should be known to every inhabitant of the country. Only by keeping the memory of the cruel and devastating events of the past is it possible to prevent this from happening again in the future.
Reconciliation will be achieved only when the authorities explicitly declare that they are ready to express sympathy with consistent actions and organize assistance to the descendants and relatives of those killed and injured. The 150 Action Program is a great plan to preserve the memory and study of the history of Canada’s Aboriginal people. However, as indicated in the text itself, one should not be limited to these 150 steps. If possible, it would be great if people started their own independent research after they had finished studying this program. Thus, it will be possible to involve people in solving this still urgent and burning problem, which contributes to its faster solution.