Manic Reparation A Psychoanalytic Discussion of Apology and Residential Schooling in Canada

The Canadian public has heard many apologies from various governments and church institutions over the last 20 years. In June 2008 Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to First Nations for the federal government’s role in the residential school system. First Nations have also received apologies from the United Church of Canada (UCC) for its participation in these schools. Much of the work being done on the process of apology assesses the apology in order to judge if it is convincing and worthwhile.My work asks the question: are apologies effective in their attempt to make amends for past injustices, or are they examples of what Klein calls “manic reparation”?