Indigenous Canadians win right to use original names after forced assimilation
Government seeks to atone for historical abuses as new policy comes after discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Wed 16 Jun 2021 06.00 EDT
The announcement comes as the country grapples with the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia. Photograph: Jonathan Hayward/AP
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Wed 16 Jun 2021 06.00 EDT
Indigenous people in Canada who were forced to use European names on official documents can now apply to restore their original names, in a new policy unveiled as the country’s government seeks to atone for historical abuses.
“For far too long, Canada’s colonial legacy has disrupted Indigenous peoples’ Indigenous naming practices and family connections from being recognized,” Marc Miller, minister of Indigenous services, said in a statement, adding that the new policy would allow residents to reclaim “the dignity of their Indigenous names”.
The announcement comes as the country grapples with the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school, which has brought renewed focus to the country’s grim colonial past.
Beginning in the 1800s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their homes and placed in the notorious schools, operated by religious institutions and the federal government as a means of forcible assimilation.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/16/indigenous-canadians-original-names-policy
= new reply since forum marked as read
