 Thank you to the commissioners who have done extraordinary work. Thank you to Eugene, Madeleine, John for your strength, for your stories. John highlighted something for me. I went to some very good schools as a child and throughout this experience I can only feel guilty. But at least very aware of the contrast between my schooling and the experiences some others went through. The survivors went through, the families of the survivors went through and those who were not survivors. And in the course of the good schools I went to, I remember one moment in the Canadian history class when we got to the chapter in the textbook on Indigenous Canadians. Good school, good teacher, good textbook I suppose. And the teacher shrugged and said, this chapter is not very interesting, not very important so we're going to skip it. And we went on to talk about the Durham report or some other such things. Well let me tell you the work that you have done here today, the work that all of you here are part of will ensure that never again in the future of Canada will students be told that this is not an integral part of everything we are as a country, everything we are as Canadians. That is a promise we make right here, all of us today. I want to thank you for welcoming me into traditional Algonquin territory. I want to thank the elders, the chiefs, the church representatives and all parties from the House of Commons. And everyone involved in the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement have come together today. Merci de m'avoir invité. Pour certains de ceux qui sont aussi ici aujourd'hui, notre dernière rencontre remonte au mois de juin à Rideau Hall lors de la cérémonie qui a marqué la fin des nombreuses années de travail acharnées de la Commission de vérité et réconciliation. Comme tout ce qui était là présent ce jour-là, je n'oublierai jamais cet événement. Ce souvenir restera marqué à mon coeur et influencera aussi les gestes que posera mon gouvernement, le gouvernement du Canada, sur la voie de la réconciliation. To the many former Residential School students with us today or watching at home, thank you for your extraordinary bravery. Thank you for your willingness to share your stories. The previous government expressed this well when it said in its formal apology that your courage is a testament to your resilience as individuals and to the strength of your cultures. The apology also noted that the burden of this experience has been on your shoulders for far too long. The burden is properly ours as a government and as a country. Your goal as we move forward together is clear. It is to lift this burden from your shoulders, from those of your families and communities. It is to accept fully our responsibilities and our failings as a government and as a country. Nine years later the apology is no less true and no less timely. The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly. At the same time, today there is reason for hope. Today we find ourselves on a new path, working together toward a nation-to-nation relationship based on recognition, rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. As I told Chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations last week and as was expressed in our Throne Speech, we need nothing less than a total renewal of the relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples. This is a commitment that I and we take very seriously. In their mandate letters I told government ministers that no relationship is more important to me and to Canada than the one with First Nations, the Métis Nation and Inuit peoples. Let me say it once again, I give you my word that we will renew and respect that relationship. Today, I have the honor of accepting, in the name of the government of Canada, the final report of the Commission. This report is the result of more than six years of hard work, hard work and often very busy moving. Commission Chair Justice Murray Sinclair and Commissioners Chief Wilton Littlechild and Dr. Murray Wilson worked tirelessly and at significant emotional cost to themselves as well with courage and valor, worked tirelessly to bring to light the truth about residential schools in Canada. They helped provide a safe place for those who suffered so that they could tell their stories and feel supported and heard. They struck a careful and compassionate balance between opening old wounds and providing survivors the chance to heal. They delivered a final report that honors the courage of each and every former student and family member who shared their testimony. The final report provides a way forward for all Canadians building on the formal apology of seven years ago. It sets us squarely on the path to true reconciliation. The government of Canada is committed to walking that path with Indigenous peoples in partnership and in friendship. In fact, that work has already begun. A national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is now underway. Ministers are meeting with survivors, families and loved ones to seek their input on how best we shall move forward. We have reiterated our commitment to make important investments in education for the First Nations and to remove the 2% of funding for programs that are intended for them. In partnership with Indigenous communities, provinces, territories and other important partners, we will fully implement the actions recommended by the Commission on Truth and Reconciliation. We will begin by giving the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. And we recognize that true reconciliation goes beyond the scope of the Commission's calls to action. I am therefore announcing that we will work with leaders of First Nations, the Métis Nation, Inuit provinces and territories, parties to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement and other key partners to design a national engagement strategy for developing and implementing a national reconciliation framework, including a formal response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. We will remember always that reconciliation is not an Indigenous issue. It is a Canadian issue. Thank you for the opportunity to share in this important work. I am honored to be your partner and your friend.