There can be no peace or harmony unless there is justice. We held 178 days of public hearings, visited 96 communities, consulted dozens of experts, commissioned scores of research studies, reviewed numerous past inquiries and reports. The main policy direction, pursued for more than 150 years, first by colonial then by Canadian governments, has been wrong. This is assimilation. It is a denial of the principles of peace, harmony and justice for which this country stands - and it has failed.
Aboriginal peoples remain proudly different.
Assimilation policies failed because Aboriginal people have the secret of cultural survival. They have an enduring sense of themselves as peoples with a unique heritage and the right to cultural continuity. This is what drives them when they blockade roads, protest at military bases and occupy sacred grounds. Assimilation policies have done great damage, leaving a legacy of brokenness affecting Aboriginal individuals, families and communities. The damage has been equally serious to the spirit of Canada - the spirit of generosity and mutual accommodation in which Canadians take pride.