That this state of affairs existed was never secret in Canada. The locals were very frank about it on my every visit, and it sure doesn't take much effort to see it for yourself while you are there.

Nonetheless, my figure show that the life expectancy and infant mortality of Canadian First Nations people, while lagging behind the rest of Canada, are better than Native Americans in the US (and much better than Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders here in Australia).

The big difference with Canada's apology is that the Canadian government is backing it up with money. Whether that makes difference will depend on how wisely it is spent.