Allison Don and Per-Erik Milam

Allison Don has worked in U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels, and currently works in the Office of Governance and Management at the City of Gresham, Oregon. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Politics from Pomona College and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Per-Erik works in ethics and social philosophy, especially questions about moral responsibility. His recent publications and research have focused on blame, apology, and forgiveness. You can read more on his website: http://www.pererikmilam.com/

Entries written by Allison Don and Per-Erik Milam

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The Case for Regular Political Apology

By Allison Don and Per-Erik Milam

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Starting in the 1870s, more than 150,000 indigenous children in Canada were forcibly removed from their families and communities and placed in Indian Residential Schools with the goal of isolating them from their home cultures and assimilating them into the dominant culture. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has labelled the program a “cultural genocide.” Students were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and at least 3,200 died while attending the schools. In 2008 and 2017 respectively, Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau apologised to the former students of the Indian Residential Schools on behalf of the Canadian government. The apologies were coupled with other measures aimed at reconciliation, including the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), which established a recovery fund of over $3 billion for former students.

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Published 8th February 2019