Harper to G20: Canada has 'no history of colonialism'

I agree with you Blue Crush.

" ... Canada as an entity never had a colonial history.  Unlike European nations we did not colonize another part of the world. "...

Perhaps you need a history lesson on this one. Canada, as an "entity", did not magically pop up out of a vacuum and encompass the northern half of North America overnight.  It began as a collection of FOUR provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario) in 1867.  The other provinces "joined" this collection, AKA Confederation later. This is basic junior high school history.  Therefore, Canada DID colonize the rest of the northern part of North America and expand the territory of Canada. This was an expansion and it WAS colonization. To say it wasn't is factually wrong. One does not have to go to "another part of the world" to be considered a colonizer.

There is no interpretation. Canada itself did not colonize another part of the world true, yet it is the result of European colonization. Just because the country became its own 'entity' as you call it, does not erase the fact that its being here is the result of oppression and genocide. Canadians have a heritage. They are the descendants of invaders and colonizers. And yes, everyone knows that Harper presented the apology for the COLONIAL policy that was the residential school system, which is why this is even more astonishing. What is not astonishing is that someone from one of the most sheltered and racist parts of Canada would be so uneducated on the matter. Interpret this and pass it on. Maybe one day this country will be a better and less ignorant place.

First, colonialism does not only mean one country's control/dominance over another, but it also is defined as being a policy in which one nation extends and maintains its control over another nation.  Your definition is far too narrow to encapsulate the different forms that colonialism can take.  Early Canadians, and many would also argue contemporary Canadians, have exploited, removed sovereignty from and forced the native populations (yes, there are many different populations and native nations) into subjugation with long lasting effects.  In sum, just because Canada did not go to another land and force those indigenous tribes into submission, this does not mean that we have no history of colonialism.Second, he apologised for the treatment of students in residential schools, yes.  However, he did not apologise for the motive behind residential schools (see quote below).  Further, he did not apologise for the effect that it has had on the current indigenous communities.  If you don't listen carefully, it is easy to believe that he does apologise for these effects.  However if you listen more intently to him, you will notice that he only speaks of the injustices that they have suffered in those schools, as opposed to going further and apologising for those injustices.  Subtle, isn't he? The way in which his speech was written was very deliberate.  This was a shocking and underhanded attempt to come off as a progressive and reconciliatory person with regards to the government's relations with the aboriginal communities."Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question" - Duncan Campbell Scott, Head of the Department of Indian Affairs - 1920.The "Indian Question" turned into what can only be described as cultural genocide. 

Your reply doesn't make any sense.  No, "Canada" did not go elsewhere to colonize another land, but Canada itself was a group of french and english colonies, giving us a very DARK history of colonization, making Harpers Statement (and yours) plainly wrong.