Very little truth and even less reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation – that’s what it was supposed to be all about.

Well, the truth part was exemplified by our Prime Minister who created the big nation-wide event and then didn’t bother to show up. He didn’t give a rat’s ass, instead he was strolling the beach in Tofino.

Does government really care? 

That came into focus for me after one of our MPs posted: “Today we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, when, among other things, we pause, learn and reflect on Canada's history of residential schools, the unimaginable harm these schools inflicted upon Indigenous children, families and communities across Canada, and the pathway forward to forging a new trusted relationship with our First Nations.”

He covered all the flowery buzz topics, but when we get to the bottom of what was accomplished, there still are no positive solutions or conclusions to many of the problems created for Indigenous Canadians by our governments over the years. All we got was more flowery platitudes.

Truth and Reconciliation day had all the feel-good trappings of a great virtue-signaling event. Perhaps I’m jaded, but everything I saw was a white guilt trip and a pitty party directed at the victims.

Truth? We’ve known the truth for ages but governments have been blind and deaf.

Reconciliation? What is being reconciled? A “holiday” is not a solution.

It goes beyond the residential schools issue, that was the lightening rod that brought the attention of the country. Where is the action? Where is the commitment? Canada’s indigenous people have been waiting far too long for solutions, they don’t need more platitudes and feel-good fluff. As the lady asked in the commercial, "where's the beef?" All talk and no action.

Someone created and sold a lot of orange T-shirts.

The prime minister even shunned the local Truth and Reconciliation event in Tofino. If that’s reconciliation we’ve got a long road ahead of us.

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