"Redressing the wrongs associated with the residential school system will involve concerted action on a number of fronts. . . . Our research and hearings indicate that a full investigation into Canada's residential school system, in the form of a public inquiry . . . is necessary to bring to light and begin to heal the grievous harms suffered by countless Aboriginal children, families and communities as a result of the residential school system. The public inquiry's main focus should be to investigate and document the origins, purposes and effects of residential school policies and practices as they relate to all Aboriginal peoples, with particular attention to the manner and extent of their impact on individuals and families across several generations, on communities, and on Aboriginal society as a whole" (383).
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Looking Forward, Looking Back, vol. 1, Canada Communication Group – Publishing, 1996.