CASW Statement of Apology and Commitment to Reconciliation” – The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) acknowledges its role in supporting the implementation of residential schools and affirming the approach to child welfare that led to the 60s scoop through the promotion of discriminatory policies with the underlying motivation to dispossess Indigenous peoples from their land.

CASW deeply apologizes for contributing to the injustices imposed on Indigenous peoples and, in this statement, seeks to highlight some of the ways in which CASW was – and in many ways still is – responsible for the systemic denial and inequality that has been apparent in the field of social work. CASW hopes that by publicly acknowledging, with humility, past and ongoing wrongdoings will begin an honest and transparent dialogue as we continue on the path of reconciliation.

According to the TRC, “the importance of truth telling in its own right should not be underestimated; it restores the human dignity of victims of violence and calls governments and citizens to account” (p. 117). This is CASW’s truth. In taking this step, we aim to focus inward and explore how the Association has reinforced the colonial project—we aspire to engage in critical reflection by revealing some of the historical content and examining how CASW fed into a racist ideology that presented Indigenous peoples as less than. In many ways, CASW has benefitted from the harmful actions directed towards Indigenous peoples and we know that it is only through acknowledging and accepting responsibility that we have any hope of reconciling our past—we must not forget our beginnings.

https://www.casw-acts.ca/sites/default/files/Statement_of_Apology_and_Reconciliation.pdf