A top Canadian general wept Thursday while apologizing for discrimination in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
“For way too long First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black, Asian and other racialized members of the CAF faced systemic barriers that limited their ability to serve, contribute and thrive as equal members and too often mistreated and even abused at the hands of their fellow members,” Chief of Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“I acknowledge we failed you,” she said. “We didn’t create an environment where you could serve your country to the highest level with pride and determination and I’m sorry for the silence, indifference and that this went on for years.”
She called her comments “a significant milestone in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces,” according to a video posted to X. At one point, she appeared overcome by emotion and stepped back from the microphone.
“On behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces, I offer my most sincere and deepest apologies,” she said, appearing to tear up as she spoke. “I apologize to every CAF member, veteran, who experienced racism, discrimination, and harassment, and I acknowledge we failed you.”
“Speaking personally, what I have learned has broken my heart. It has filled me with sadness, anger, but then the resolve to do much better,” she said, according to CTV.
An apology, while necessary, is only the beginning. Retired Sergeant Wendy Jocko, a former chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, emphasized this sentiment in a statement reported by CBC.
“Today we do not seek empty promises or hollow gestures, we seek transformative, deep, lasting, and meaningful change,” Jocko said. She served 23 years in the CAF. Her parents both served in the Second World War, and she had grandparents who fought in the First World War. Jocko traces her ancestors to a chief who fought for the British in the War of 1812.
“For generations, Indigenous peoples who stepped forward to serve Canada faced not only the dangers of military service, but also the wounds inflicted by systemic racism within the very institution they chose to serve,” she added.
As noted by the Richmond News, a class-action lawsuit settlement over racism in the military required the Canadian Armed Forces to acknowledge its history of systemic discrimination.
The lawsuit concluded with a $150 million payout to individuals who served in the military from 1985 to the present. Settlement amounts for individuals who experienced discrimination could range from $5,000 to $35,000.
https://www.westernjournal.com/canadian-general-begins-crying-apologizing-systemic-racism-calls-milestone/
