Month: June 2021

The unmarked graves of an estimated 751 people have been discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan on Thursday. The number could be the most substantial to date found in Canada. The news came less than a month after the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation uncovered evidence of unmarked […]

The unmarked graves of an estimated 751 people have been discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan on Thursday. The number could be the most substantial to date found in Canada.

The news came less than a month after the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation uncovered evidence of unmarked graves containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. There are certain to be more revelations.

These discoveries reopen old wounds about the lack of transparency and accountability around the residential school system in Canada, which forcibly separated indigenous children from their families and subjected them to malnutrition and physical and sexual abuse. These residential schools and unmarked graves represent the systemic racism and discrimination of Canada’s past and the effects are still felt today.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed the Vatican to make an official apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the system. Pope Francis said in early June that he was pained by the Kamloops revelation and called for respect for the rights and cultures of native peoples. But he stopped short of the direct apology.

IUOE Local 793 stands with Indigenous people, both across the country and within our Union membership, as they call for action to bring truth and reconciliation to address the horrific tragedies that occurred at Canada’s residential schools.

RESOURCES:
Indigenous History in Canada
Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

June is National Indigenous History Month and today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the rich heritage, diverse cultures and unique contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. While there is much to celebrate, there is also much to grieve. Full transparency […]

June is National Indigenous History Month and today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the rich heritage, diverse cultures and unique contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

While there is much to celebrate, there is also much to grieve.

Full transparency is needed to discover the truth behind Canada’s residential school tragedies

Last month, we learned about the terrible news of the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the lands of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia. Since this tragic news broke, other bodies have been found near former residential schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
An estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children attended one of the more than 130 residential schools established in Canada between 1831 and 1996. The schools were government-funded and mostly run by the Catholic church. These children were taken from their families to be stripped of their culture, heritage, traditions and language with the goal of assimilating these children into a predominately European/western culture. These innocent children were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and thousands died. The exact number is not known. In the 1950’s, Indigenous children attending a residential school had a greater likelihood of dying in that school than did soldiers fighting in both of the world wars.

The only way to discover the truth and support true reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples is to have full transparency and accountability. This begins with the Catholic church providing full disclosure of all records related to the residential schools. Without knowing the truth, it will be impossible to bring any meaningful closure to the thousands of Indigenous families who lost a child/children.

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the province would invest $10 million over the next three years on efforts to identify, investigate, protect and commemorate burial sites at former residential schools in the province. The federal government has set aside $27.1 million to assist Indigenous communities in identifying unmarked burial sites at former residential schools.

IUOE Local 793 stands with Indigenous people, both across the country and within our Union membership, as they call for action to bring truth and reconciliation to address the horrific tragedies that occurred at Canada’s residential schools.

RESOURCES:

Learn More About National Indigenous History Month
Learn More About Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous History in Canada