welcome to Imported Peas – where we talk about worldwide happenings.

today’s is just a quick one. Noticed in the newspaper Canada had apologised to their native peoples.

“[Canadian Prime Minister] Mr Harper’s act mirrored the apology offered by Kevin Rudd in February to indigenous people who were taken from their families through much of the 20th century under successive governments. Many suffered terrible abuse in government and church-run institutions” 1

Amazing how in two countries half a globe away from each other both treated their native people in a very similar way. As the PEA recently learnt, the effects of Imperialism and Social Darwinism were far-reaching, and the price is being paid for them now. The juvenile belief of that time that some humans were created above others is still causing pain in people today.

Reading through the news articles, it’s amazing to see the great similarities between the experiences of the Australian Aborigines, and the Native Canadians:
Past Canadian governments tried to ”to kill the Indian in the child”. Past Australian governments tried also to breed out the Aboriginal race.
Our schooling here in NSW focuses on the injustices suffered by people in our own country, but we often aren’t taught how prevalent this treatment was – that it was happening everywhere!

One difference between Canada’s ‘Sorry’ and our own:

Canada has gone a step further by agreeing to a massive compensation payout – something the Rudd Government has ruled out

Interesting. I wonder how popular that was with the Canadian people.

At least one thing’s for certain. Kevin Rudd seems to be somewhat of a trend-setter.

Paul