Aboriginal People receive an Expression of Sorrow from the Pope

Firstly – I am not a residential school survivor – generations that went before me were mostly spared the experience. We did have a few cousins and more distant relatives that were affected but most of them remained loyal to their Catholic faith until their passing.

I have been to many of the activities, conferences and meetings where there were residential school survivors. To hear the atrocities that resulted from a generational genocide of a people from policies that created the struggles of some of our survivors would shake the very core of anyone’s beliefs. It has altered my own but that is not what this is about.

Firstly, I do believe that whether you are a fan of Phil Fontaine’s or not – you have to acknowledge that during his leadership he has worked diligently to try and address and have the Residential School issues acknowledged and understood. For Canadians – they have become more aware of the issues that resulted from the residential school experience. For our survivors there has been a great deal of effort towards acknowledging their struggles in an attempt to help them find healing.

I do hope that some of them do find healing in the apologies that were made. I also pray that the programs and compensation that is a part of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation pieces bring further progression towards a place of peace.

Now folks I want to deal with the Métis politics of this story – because as much as the event is significant – Métis politics is always a place of its’ own expression.

Phil Fontaine invited other Aboriginal leaders to come and participate. The Inuit leader, Mary Simon went to the Vatican City, Jim Sinclair – one of our past Métis leaders was invited to attend and then Clem was invited. As many of our Métis people here have come to know – Clem will not participate with the AFN or Phil Fontaine in most things. He is generally invited to participate and if AFN is the hosting organization – Clem normally ignores the invitation.

In fact folks – one of the reasons that Métis and the issues related to most of them have not been addressed through the Residential School initiatives is thanks to Clem not participating. This time though he sent our infamous David Chartrand. Now there was room for two Métis – so our infamous leader could have taken a Métis residential school survivor. Now that would have made sense that a Métis Residential School Survivor joined the other Métis Residential School survivors to gain audience with the Pope.

Well my Métis friends – we did not take a residential school survivor – we took our well paid Métis contractor – Mark Leclair. I am trying to make sense of these things so what I am speculating is that due to the behaviour of the Métis bully – David Chartrand - he needed to take his main henchman and himself to get a special blessing – so he may repent for his bullying and find his way to the pearly gates some day.

Now just to be clear – when the Pope gave private audience to the Aboriginal delegation for the 30 minutes that they got – David was not invited into the private meeting. Maybe he will have to do some more repenting to find St. Peter.