The attempts by the churches to come to terms with the tragic legacy of residential schools reflect the belief that since we all benefit from the encounter between different cultures, the people from one culture should not have to cope with all of the bad consequences of contact. And most of us would acknowledge that the Natives have had to cope with the majority of the problems that have arisen from their encounter with European society. Unfortunately, the question of how to make the contact between cultures rewarding for everyone remains a hotly debated issue. Not all Canadians respect Native rights or culture. Some still see Native rights as a nuisance, and Native communities as a burden we cannot afford.
Some people refuse to see Native culture at all.
Some of those people have used the harm the lawsuits may do to Canadian churches as another argument against native rights. In effect, if not in intention, the Canadian government has turned Christian communities into human shields against the Native peoples harmed by past government policies. Churches should only act as government contractors if they have no doubt that, after decades of reflection, they will still believe in what the government wants to do. Otherwise, they may find themselves held hostage to the legacy of government policies they have long ceased to believe in. John Spragge is president of Dancing Cat Software of Ann Arbor Michigan.