蜜芽传媒

Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for the Catholic Church's role in promoting cultural assimilation amongst Canada鈥檚 indigenous communities, which he described as evil.

"I am deeply sorry," the Pope said of the schools, which operated from the 1870s with the last one closing in 1996. He called his apology a first step and that a "serious investigation" into abuses must occur to foster healing.

Mukwa Musayett is the world鈥檚 first Canada Research Chair in Indigenizing higher education and an Associate British Professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Colombia. Her parents and her grandparents were children of these residential schools. She told Newsday that lands that were taken need to be returned: 鈥淵ou can continue to hand out piecemeal dollars by dollars but without the land, there is really no opportunity for indigenous peoples to climb out of poverty.鈥�

(Picture: Pope Francis receives a headdress from indigenous people during his visit to Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada July 25, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Todd Korol)

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