Johno, the Prime Minister apologized because although the intent of the residential schools seemed like it would be positive (a place for the children to live, religion being taught, the children learned English and other subjects, etc.), what ended up happening was attempted full-on, culture wiping assimilation of these First Nations children.
Note that this apology is LONG overdue. The culture shock that the children in the residential schools went through is unlike anything we could imagine. They were told that speaking their native language was a sin. Long braids were cut off (little boy`s heads were shaved because the children were considered dirty and were assumed to have had lice). In many Aboriginal cultures, it is a sign of respect to cut off long braids in memory of someone close who has just died. You know what those children thought? That someone they loved had died.
While many of the priests and teachers at the schools had wonderful intentions and pure hearts, as history has always shown us, power corrupts. Children were raped. They were beaten. They were put in isolation for speaking to each other in their language that their parents taught them. In some residential schools, parents were prohibited from visiting. The government actually hired people to go to reserves and lure children off the reserves, promising them education, and I kid you not, candy.
I think it`s a shame that the apology is so late. There`s a lot of things that Canadians do not know about Aboriginal history and they simply choose to ignore. In addition to having their women raped and their land taken away from them through shady ``contracts``, their children were ripped away from them and had Catholicism thrust upon them. I cringe when I hear jokes about ``another Indian drinking or committing suicide``...wake up and smell the bannock ladies and gentlemen: their actions are the aftermath of the residential schools, reflecting from generation to generation.
You know what I think about him apologizing? I think without any sort of money, his talk his cheap. Does he think that by saying a few words, he can eliminate years of pain and sorrow and culture shock?
Edit: Johno, I guessed that :) That`s kind of why I went on a lengthy explanation spree. I gave some links if it`s something you might be interested in reading about. Cheers
Edit2: I recognize that there were some payments made in a peaceful effort:
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/rqpi/index-eng.asp
Is it really enough, though? I`m willing to bet that if white children had ended up in the residential schools somehow, no one would ever settle on $10,000.