At U.N., Canada’s leader spotlights his own country’s injustices

UNITED NATIONS — On a stage where many world leaders spotlight their successes, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday about one of his nation’s historic failures: the injustices long faced by its native people.

“For indigenous peoples in Canada, the experience was mostly one of humiliation, neglect and abuse” under successive governments that didn’t respect their rights, he said.

“We are greatly ashamed,” Trudeau said. “And for far too many indigenous people, that lack of respect for rights still persists today.”

Trudeau’s speech, which detailed measures Canada has taken to right the wrongs, struck an unusual tone at the annual gathering of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs, many of whom use their U.N. speeches to boast about their countries, complain about others or discuss global flashpoints.

Earlier in the day, South Korea’s president urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program and seek dialogue to prevent conflict from breaking out on the divided peninsula.

President Moon Jae-in voiced support for stronger sanctions in response to the North’s recent weapons tests, but his tone contrasted with President Donald Trump’s dark warning at the General Assembly on Tuesday that North Korea would be “totally destroyed” if it attacked. Another U.S. ally, Japan, said Wednesday that pressure, not dialogue, was needed.

It is rare for a leader of Canada, a nation that prides itself on its image of tolerance and social harmony, to talk about the plight of the country’s native people in a global forum.

Still, General Assembly speeches are often designed to appeal to audiences at home, and “talking about indigenous issues and women fits with Trudeau’s domestic political and policy agendas,” said University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman.

Trudeau said he wanted “to tell you our story because I know that the challenges we have faced — and continue to face — are not unique in the world,” and “we remain hopeful — hopeful that we can do better.”

Many indigenous people are frustrated by the disparities between their lives and those of their fellow Canadians.

Indigenous people make up 4.3 percent of Canada’s population. But the proportion of indigenous adults in jail or prison is about nine times higher than among other Canadians. Youth suicide rates are far higher and life expectancy is five to seven years lower than for non-indigenous Canadians.

Indigenous people in Canada didn’t have the right to vote in federal elections until 1961 and were not allowed to leave a reservation without a permit until 1951. In much of the last century, 150,000 indigenous children were taken from their families to statefunded residential schools where they were barred from speaking native languages and forced to convert to Christianity. Many were beaten or abused, and up to 6,000 were said to have died, before the policy ended.

Trudeau pointed to recent progress. Investments have made water safe to drink in more than two dozen indigenous communities, and nearly 4,000 new homes are being built, he said.