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Federal government to declare new statutory holiday re residential school legacy

Rifleman62

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New Federal holiday coming. A holiday to never forget the apology that will keep on giving.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-negotiating-to-create-new-statutory-holiday-marking-brutal/

Federal government to declare new statutory holiday to mark painful residential-school legacy
- 15 Aug 18

The federal government is consulting with Indigenous groups before declaring a national statutory holiday to mark the painful legacy of Canada’s Indian residential schools.

The main sticking point has been choosing a date for the annual event. “The overall picture is that it is important to have that day set aside so Canadians continually get it and will never ever forget the impact of genocide in the residential schools on Indigenous peoples,” Perry Bellegarde, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), said in a recent telephone interview.

The AFN is among several groups the federal government has consulted as it prepares to announce the creation of what is expected to be known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – one of the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which spent years investigating the abuse of children at the church-run schools. The AFN initially said the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation should be on June 21, which is National Indigenous Peoples Day. But the government was concerned that would be too close to St. Jean Baptiste Day, a Quebec holiday that is celebrated on June 24, and also too close to Canada Day.

The next choice was Orange Shirt Day, Sept. 30, a date that is near the time of year when children were separated from their families to attend the residential schools. It was named after the shiny orange shirt that was given to six-year-old Phyllis Webstad by her grandmother in 1973 and taken from her and never returned when she attended the St. Joseph Mission School in Williams Lake, B.C.
“We’re pushing to advocate for a national day, a statutory holiday, for reconciliation, whether that be June 21, or that be Orange Shirt on Sept. 30,” Mr. Bellegarde said. The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents Canada’s Inuit people, says the government has discussed the issue of the statutory holiday with the organization, but not engaged in formal negotiations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised in late 2015 to enact all of the TRC’s calls to action, although the government has since clarified that the commitment extends only to the 76 that fall within federal jurisdiction. Although 27 of its responses to the commission’s recommendations are still in the very early planning stages, government officials said efforts to create a national statutory holiday are well under way. The Department of Canadian Heritage said in an e-mail on Tuesday that the “day will be developed in consultation with the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to ensure it is meaningful and truthful.”

After becoming a federal statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation would be a day off work for federal employees. Provinces and territories would then have to amend their own labour codes if they choose to commemorate the history of the residential schools in the same fashion.

The TRC found that the schools, which operated for more than 100 years, were a system of cultural genocide. Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, said it was important to withdraw children from the influence of their parents and “put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”

At the moment, there are just five national statutory holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day. The remaining holidays are marked with a patchwork of days off across Canada, with each province and territory setting its own schedule.

In March of this year, Remembrance Day was made a legal holiday throughout Canada by an Act of Parliament. It has been a paid day off in all provinces and territories except Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, and it will remain a regular working day in those jurisdictions unless they decide to observe it.

The Royal Canadian Legion, however, has opposed making Remembrance Day a statutory holiday to honour Canadians who died during war.

“We do not feel that making the day a holiday will achieve the ultimate goal of perpetuating remembrance,” the Legion has explained in a statement. “If Remembrance Day were a holiday, for many, the two minutes of silence may get missed in the bustle of a day off.”
 
I honestly can't say if this is a wise idea or not.

On one hand, it would potentially ensure that a difficult part of Canadian history is never truly forgotten.

On the other, it strikes me as the political equivalent of picking at a scab over a still healing wound.
 
Rifleman62 said:
New Federal holiday coming. A holiday to never forget the apology that will keep on giving.

I'm Sorry About the Rain!

Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust

Abstract

Existing apology research has conceptualized apologies as a device to rebuild relationships following a transgression. Individuals,
however, often apologize for circumstances for which they are obviously not culpable (e.g., heavy traffic or bad weather). In this
article, we define superfluous apologies as expressions of regret for an undesirable circumstance for which the apologizer is clearly
not responsible. Across four studies, we find that superfluous apologies increase trust in the apologizer. This effect is mediated by
empathic concern. Issuing a superfluous apology demonstrates empathic concern for the victim and increases the victim’s trust in
the apologizer.

Keywords
superfluous apology, apology, trust, benevolence-based trust, empathy, stochastic trust game


Hi, folks. Well, I’m sorry about the rain.
President Bill Clinton (August 1995)

Apology research has presumed that the apologizer bears responsibility for harming the victim. This presumption of
responsibility is embedded in existing conceptualizations and definitions of apologies. According to Goffman (1971), an
apology splits an individual into two parts, ‘‘one half of the individual representing the wrongdoing, and the other half . . .
hoping to be forgiven’’ (p.113); and apologies have been defined as ‘‘admissions of blameworthiness and regret for an
undesirable event that allow actors to try to obtain a pardon from audiences’’ (Goffman, 1971; Lazare, 2004; Ohbuchi,
Kameda, & Agarie, 1989; Scher & Darley, 1997; Schlenker, 1980; Schlenker & Darby, 1981, p. 271; Schweitzer, Hershey,
& Bradlow, 2006; Tavuchis, 1991).

Incorporating this definition, the extant literature has studied apologies as a post hoc device for restoring relationships between a culpable apologizer and a target (Haselhuhn, Schweitzer, & Wood, 2010; Kim, Dirks, Cooper, & Ferrin, 2006; Kim, Ferrin, Cooper, &
Dirk, 2004; Van Kleef, De Dreu, & Manstead, 2010).

We argue that this approach is overly narrow. Many individuals, such as Bill Clinton, apologize when they are clearly not
responsible. In contrast to the existing research that has assumed that the apologizer is blameworthy, we investigate the use of
apologies for situations in which the apologizer is obviously not at fault.

Across our studies, we identify significant benefits to apologizing. Superfluous apologies represent a powerful and
easy-to-use tool for social influence. Even in the absence of culpability, individuals can increase trust and liking by saying
‘‘I’m sorry’’—even if they are merely ‘‘sorry’’ about the rain.

http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Brooks%20Dai%20Schweitzer%202013_d2f61dc9-ec1b-485d-a815-2cf25746de50.pdf
 
A stat holiday will fix everything, and its way cheaper than that pesky clean drinking water promise.
 
daftandbarmy said:
We argue that this approach is overly narrow. Many individuals, such as Bill Clinton, apologize when they are clearly not
responsible. In contrast to the existing research that has assumed that the apologizer is blameworthy, we investigate the use of
apologies for situations in which the apologizer is obviously not at fault.

Across our studies, we identify significant benefits to apologizing. Superfluous apologies represent a powerful and
easy-to-use tool for social influence. Even in the absence of culpability, individuals can increase trust and liking by saying
‘‘I’m sorry’’—even if they are merely ‘‘sorry’’ about the rain.

http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Brooks%20Dai%20Schweitzer%202013_d2f61dc9-ec1b-485d-a815-2cf25746de50.pdf

To follow on what was quoted above, in the policing world, we often use apologies when speaking with victims of crime. Though the police aren't typically directly responsible for one becoming a survivor of sexual assault, a little bit of genuine empathy in the form of an apology goes a long way to building trust and rapport. We're all human, and most of us can genuinzely empathize, but from a purely tactical perspective, the benefits to creating the trust is a better interview - which results in a better investigation - which hopefully results in a better outcome.

I see no reason for this holiday being any different. It might be a game of substitution and mirrors for the sitting government - or it's a genuine attempt to address that of the recommendations which are within the governments current power (and political capital) to enact. If the fallout is increased awareness for the issue, and an overall increase in trust and responsibility for the affected communities who really loses?

Plus all us Federal employees get another day off.
 
At first, I was cynical, but then I thought about it.  If you look at the list of current federal holidays, two are religious days (Good Friday and Christmas) and one celebrates the Labour Movement.  If you tried pitching a national holiday to celebrate a religious cause or the labour movement today, you'd be branded a right/left-wing nut...and yet nobody in Canada seems to have problems with the time off for these days.

A day commemorating the relationship between Canada and its First Nations wouldn't be unprecedented, with New Zealand, which is ahead of the rest of the Western world in dealing with its colonial past, celebrating Waitangi Day.  Although our day would be more solemn than Waitangi, I think the spirit could be the same.  So, I guess I'm saying I'm intrigued by the concept.  Perhaps it can take the place of one of the hodge-podge of provincial holidays (like the first weekend in August) without unduly affecting the productivity schedule of the working calendar.  I think the name would need to change, as National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is too bureaucratic sounding - it would be like renaming Christmas "National Day of Giving and Spending Time with Family."

I'm sure we have some Canadians of aboriginal heritage as members here - I'd be interested in hearing their opinions on this.
 
Infanteer said:
At first, I was cynical, but then I thought about it.  If you look at the list of current federal holidays, two are religious days (Good Friday and Christmas) and one celebrates the Labour Movement.  If you tried pitching a national holiday to celebrate a religious cause or the labour movement today, you'd be branded a right/left-wing nut...and yet nobody in Canada seems to have problems with the time off for these days.

Agreed.  Some folks will cause a stir for a few days, then shut up while everyone else says "hey, a day off!" 
 
Infanteer said:
At first, I was cynical, but then I thought about it.  If you look at the list of current federal holidays, two are religious days (Good Friday and Christmas) and one celebrates the Labour Movement.  If you tried pitching a national holiday to celebrate a religious cause or the labour movement today, you'd be branded a right/left-wing nut...and yet nobody in Canada seems to have problems with the time off for these days.

A day commemorating the relationship between Canada and its First Nations wouldn't be unprecedented, with New Zealand, which is ahead of the rest of the Western world in dealing with its colonial past, celebrating Waitangi Day.  Although our day would be more solemn than Waitangi, I think the spirit could be the same.  So, I guess I'm saying I'm intrigued by the concept.  Perhaps it can take the place of one of the hodge-podge of provincial holidays (like the first weekend in August) without unduly affecting the productivity schedule of the working calendar.  I think the name would need to change, as National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is too bureaucratic sounding - it would be like renaming Christmas "National Day of Giving and Spending Time with Family."

I'm sure we have some Canadians of aboriginal heritage as members here - I'd be interested in hearing their opinions on this.

Easiest thing to name it: Reconciliation Day.

With a name like that, there are plenty of other uses for it in addition to the originally stated goal. How many people have inane disputes which destroy friendships, and spend years regretting not reaching out to reconcile, for example?
 
Infanteer said:
At first, I was cynical, but then I thought about it.  If you look at the list of current federal holidays, two are religious days (Good Friday and Christmas) and one celebrates the Labour Movement.  If you tried pitching a national holiday to celebrate a religious cause or the labour movement today, you'd be branded a right/left-wing nut...and yet nobody in Canada seems to have problems with the time off for these days.

A day commemorating the relationship between Canada and its First Nations wouldn't be unprecedented, with New Zealand, which is ahead of the rest of the Western world in dealing with its colonial past, celebrating Waitangi Day.  Although our day would be more solemn than Waitangi, I think the spirit could be the same.  So, I guess I'm saying I'm intrigued by the concept.  Perhaps it can take the place of one of the hodge-podge of provincial holidays (like the first weekend in August) without unduly affecting the productivity schedule of the working calendar.  I think the name would need to change, as National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is too bureaucratic sounding - it would be like renaming Christmas "National Day of Giving and Spending Time with Family."

I'm sure we have some Canadians of aboriginal heritage as members here - I'd be interested in hearing their opinions on this.

I had much the same reaction.  Especially since Remembrance Day (I thought) wasn't a national holiday.  But then I realized that it was this year.  So no issues with this overall.  It won't effect anyone but federal employees at the end of the day.  But holiday is the wrong word. It should be a day of mourning or remembrance.  Holiday is the wrong ring to it.
 
Xylric said:
Easiest thing to name it: Reconciliation Day.

With a name like that, there are plenty of other uses for it in addition to the originally stated goal. How many people have inane disputes which destroy friendships, and spend years regretting not reaching out to reconcile, for example?

Still meaningless platitudes without actual change. Actual change like getting rid of the terrible Indian Act and replacing it with something more modern, that allows First Nations to be equals in Canadian society? There's some pretty appalling stuff still in the Indian Act, and other things that thankfully been repealed: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/21-things-you-may-not-have-known-about-the-indian-act-
 
It's only meaningless if you keep that mindset.  Remembrance Day is a meaningless day for those to choose to sleep in (which is probably a lot) and yet we don't see it as worthless and worth ridding ourselves of.

That being said, you're correct about the Indian Act as being at the centre of the problem.  Announcing a Reconciliation Day along with a concurrent repealing the Indian Act, if anything to get rid of its antiquated name, and replacing it with a First Nations Act, would be a real move in the right direction.  I won't hold my breath though.
 
In the long term, this will be unhelpful.

The government could declare some sort of awareness day without making it a statutory holiday.  No-one has the power to impose interpretations on others; some people are going to perceive it as an imposed day of abasement even as others perceive it as a day of recognition and reconciliation.  How those of us wanting to bridge gaps feel about it will be beside the point; I doubt that the goodwill which already exists will markedly increase.  Meanwhile, some divisions will grow deeper; a sense of having to perpetually apologize or genuflect is corrosive.

Canada has a long history of offering up ill-advised ideas which compromise long-term political stability for short-term political expediency (eg. see terms of Charlottetown and Meech Accords - different grievances were to be papered over, but the general principle was the same).

Canada will never be a healthy* country until there is exactly one status of citizenship with all communities equal before the law, no disparate powers or privileges conferred by simple accident of birth, and no status games between cultures.  (Note: that statement applies broadly.)

*The more ways in which Canadian apartheid or any other special status for a culture is reinforced, the less stable Canada's future.  The same applies to stroking Quebec nationalism: a problem we for some reason have not had any trouble understanding.
 
Brad Sallows said:
... disparate powers or privileges conferred by simple accident of birth ...
Like what comes from being born into wealth vs born into poverty?
 
[quote author=daftandbarmy ]
I'm Sorry About the Rain!

Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust


[/quote]

Great post (and read). Personally I find canned apologies meaningless, and sometimes bordering insulting when it's pretty clear the apology is by rote. Like when cell phone companies apologize for the wait.


I don't care either way about the holiday.  I think the reconciliation stuff is bullshit considering how many first Nations people are living without water/septic systems/ nesseties of life when their their corrupt band councils are taking in the cash and everyone is too afraid of being called a racist to say anything or do anything about it.  First nations members know it and try to get attention brought to it but no one wants to listen.  Start there.

I know whatever happens with the holiday there will be outrage over what month it's put in because other entities will be insulted "their month" is impinged on.
 
I am ok with a national "Indigenous day" to celebrate their culture. If they go with this, perhaps we can start demanding public apologies for FN's that actively took slaves. 
 
> Federal government to declare new statutory holiday

Whatever name they decide to call it, perhaps the feds want to narrow the stat holiday gap with other levels of government?

eg: Federal government has 11 stat holidays.
https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/remuneration-compensation/services-paye-pay-services/paye-centre-pay/feries-holidays-eng.html

Municipal government has 12 stat holidays.
https://www.toronto.ca/home/contact-us/statutory-holidays/

( Plus, two more Floating Stat Holidays ( FSH ) you can take anytime. ie: If you work 12-hour shifts, those two FSH days actually work out to the equivalent of 3 eight-hour days. )

Underway said:
It won't effect anyone but federal employees at the end of the day. 

If federal employees get this new stat holiday, perhaps provincial and municipal unions will say "us too"?

Dimsum said:
Some folks will cause a stir for a few days, then shut up while everyone else says "hey, a day off!"

:)

 
Colin P said:
I am ok with a national "Indigenous day" to celebrate their culture. If they go with this, perhaps we can start demanding public apologies for FN's that actively took slaves.

I know some Haida that are pretty sure the Salish Sea belongs to them, not the Salish :)
 
>Like what comes from being born into wealth vs born into poverty?

Not the same at all.  Neither of those is enshrined in law.  A person can change his poverty.
 
I am no longer surprised or shocked at anything coming out of Ottawa these days. And I'm not just talking about Parliament Hill.
 
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