The chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into Canada’s residential school system has issued a summary of his long-awaited report.

Justice Murray Sinclair’s report is the culmination of six emotional years of extensive study into the church-run, government funded institutions – which operated for more than 120 years.

Justice Sinclair called the commission “a difficult, inspiring and painful journey for everyone involved,” including those native people who survived a dark chapter in Canadian history.

The report says the expectations created by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s apology to aboriginal people in 2008 – have not been met.

Sinclair called the residential school era “a period of cultural genocide.”

N-D-P leader Tom Mulcair says seven generations of aboriginal children have suffered the results of residential schools – and the country has to start finding a path forward.

In the Commons, Mulcair tried to get the prime minister to say he agreed with the conclusion that what happened to aboriginal children was “cultural genocide,” but Harper sidestepped the question.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promises that a government led by him – would implement all 94 recommendations of the report.

The full report will be released later this year – weighing in at six volumes and thousands of pages.