Teach residential school history in classes, says newly elected Ontario regional chief
A familiar face within the Anisinabek Nation and on Manitoulin Island will soon be ascending to one of the highest offices in the province.
Former Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief Glen Hare was elected to the position of Ontario Regional Chief during the 47th Annual All Ontario Chiefs Conference on Thursday.
For Hare, who hails from M'Chigeeng First Nation, it's a big honour.
"I don't take it very lightly, lots of thought has been put into this, I didn't just jump in for the sake of looking for work," he said. "First and foremost any political leader needs his family's support, 100 per cent, and I still had that coming from the Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation."
In an interview with CTV News, Hare, who is no stranger to politics, said he's looking forward to the challenge of representing Ontario nationally.
It comes on the heels of the discovery of 215 children buried at the former Kamloops residential school in British Columbia.
Hare said it's time to switch focus to finding other victims
"It time for the truth," he said. "The government is the one that came and got our kids, our babies, at our homes. My God, they're responsible for bringing them back home. One hundred per cent."
"These are horror stories. They were murdered."
He's seen shocking news clips of children being taken away from families in cattle trucks to residential schools.
"You don't treat us like that," Hare said. "I was just appalled to see that."
Canadian students need to learn the full history of how First Nations people have been treated, he said. Many Canadians have been shocked to learn the ugly history of residential schools, and that has to change. Right now, too many people don't believe Indigenous people when they tell their stories.
"Put the truth in education," Hare said. "Put it in the classrooms ... It has to be put into the history, because they need to know. Teach everybody what happened."
When it comes to truth and reconciliation, Hare said he's heard a lot of talk in the last five decades, but very little action. That has to change.
"No more talk, and no more bringing this up only when they have an election," he said.
In terms of his priorities, Hare said he will work with chiefs to set their agenda and find out what is most important to them.
"And I need government leadership at the table," he said. "Let's do this together. I want to work with everybody."
"I know the government leaders, provincial and federal. I want them to meet my leadership, too, and let's meet at the table and talk about these things. Be part of the solution."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.