^^ One minute I was complaining that truth isn't taught in school. Next day, kid came home and told me how she was asked to console her friend who cried when the Indigenous advocate taught them that kids were boiled. I said pardon??? The kids' hands had boiled water poured on them around here. Truth or vicarious abuse? Fine line.
And yes... if you're reading between the lines, the First Nation child had to console a Caucasian kid after learning about the rez school atrocities.
And so it goes...
JFC.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
^^ One minute I was complaining that truth isn't taught in school. Next day, kid came home and told me how she was asked to console her friend who cried when the Indigenous advocate taught them that kids were boiled. I said pardon??? The kids' hands had boiled water poured on them around here. Truth or vicarious abuse? Fine line.
And yes... if you're reading between the lines, the First Nation child had to console a Caucasian kid after learning about the rez school atrocities.
And so it goes...
JFC.
Indigenous advocate? what is this role and who fills it?
why on earth would any of this be told to school kids of any age? isnt this a conversation for parents to have first?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
British Columbia implemented UNDRIP before it became federal law or will become federal law soon. As such, each school has an indigenous advocate, which effectively enlarges teacher's communities of practice. They track and help the kids achieve graduation rates equivakent ti thrir peers. K-12 teachers have a new standard (nine) in which they are mandated to foster indigenous culture and knowledge in classrooms now.
Sometimes they make mistakes. So do the teachers, like when my kid came home with a dried out orange peel that "First Nations used to decorate Christmas trees". It's not perfect, but this is countering systemic racism, overall.
^^ One minute I was complaining that truth isn't taught in school. Next day, kid came home and told me how she was asked to console her friend who cried when the Indigenous advocate taught them that kids were boiled. I said pardon??? The kids' hands had boiled water poured on them around here. Truth or vicarious abuse? Fine line.
And yes... if you're reading between the lines, the First Nation child had to console a Caucasian kid after learning about the rez school atrocities.
And so it goes...
JFC.
Indigenous advocate? what is this role and who fills it?
why on earth would any of this be told to school kids of any age? isnt this a conversation for parents to have first?
that's a failure of judgement on the teacher.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders will meet with the Pope in December to request he come to Canada to provide a formal apology for the Church’s part in the residential school system.
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
I can not speak for the perpetrators of the church burnings…I can only surmise…but my best guess is it’s frustration…for decades the church and our government covered up these crimes…they want the pope to come to Canada and apologize, plus compensation…
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
Motive in my opinion is grief, anger, and mostly revenge.
Toronto 2000
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013 Toronto I&II 2016 10C: 220xxx
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
I can not speak for the perpetrators of the church burnings…I can only surmise…but my best guess is it’s frustration…for decades the church and our government covered up these crimes…they want the pope to come to Canada and apologize, plus compensation…
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
Motive in my opinion is grief, anger, and mostly revenge.
I see it now thanks.
Wasn't sure to whom and why they were being burnt but I get it now.
Another church has been torched north of Edmonton…
I'm not understanding the backlash at the Native American churches? Why are they being burnt down? Is there some sort of rebel rousing that people aren't fond of? Is it the recent school/mass grave story? Is it some crazy rumor?
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
The Catholic Church ran the residential school system…so many hold them accountable for the genocide, also our government is responsible as well. The latest church was 100 years old…
I understand all that. Why are the churches being burnt down now though? What is the motive?
I'm not a residential school survivor... nor do I know anyone who is or was or was directly impacted by it. So I can only sit here and imagine right?
There's a lot going on here with this. And when you sort through the garbage... there is a pretty clear sign here: a particular group of people have been beyond treated badly and unfairly. I don't know... those words don't even seem to do this justice.
I get the institution of the church and it's members and its desire to protect and defend each other.
I think if the tables were turned a bit here, this would be a remarkably different story. If indigenous were somehow responsible for the ethnic cleansing, kidnapping, assault, rape, torture, and murder or thousands of catholic kids. How would people react? How would the church react? How would catholics react?
That's just the start.
What I've been learning and discovering recently makes it all the more disgusting. The church agreed to fundraise as part of reconciliation years ago a sum of $25,000,000 as a form of reparations. (I'm not sure if this was national or just in Sask. .. please feel free to fact check) They provided $4,000,000 and hired lawyers to fight their case that they couldn't afford to pay any more than that... and won the case in court. All the while erecting a massive $30,000,000 modern church.
I grew up catholic. And then I became agnostic. To quote Eddie.. who quoted Bob.... "Even Jesus would never forgive what you do."
Toronto 2000
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013 Toronto I&II 2016 10C: 220xxx
Toronto 2000
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013 Toronto I&II 2016 10C: 220xxx
the church claiming it doesn't have enough funds is fucking insulting.
The Catholic Church spending money to aggrandize itself at the expense of their congregation and the population at large is a long-standing complaint and one that they still don’t seem to have learned from.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
As a Canadian and a historian, I’m going to explain some of the key facts you need to know about the Residential School graves making international headlines. A French translation is here: https://tinyurl.com/7zp4sb6h
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
As a Canadian and a historian, I’m going to explain some of the key facts you need to know about the Residential School graves making international headlines. A French translation is here: https://tinyurl.com/7zp4sb6h
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
As a US citizen, I recognize the history of racism in my own country. That being said, I am shocked and disgusted by what is being found in Canada…Unfathomable how the Canadian government allowed these things to go on for so long into semi-recent history. What the actual fuck…
As a Canadian and a historian, I’m going to explain some of the key facts you need to know about the Residential School graves making international headlines. A French translation is here: https://tinyurl.com/7zp4sb6h
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
As a US citizen, I recognize the history of racism in my own country. That being said, I am shocked and disgusted by what is being found in Canada…Unfathomable how the Canadian government allowed these things to go on for so long into semi-recent history. What the actual fuck…
Canada is far more racist than most Canadians will admit. Our federal government is racist, our prime minister was caught in photos of him wearing blackface…in one photo he was wearing black body…
These photos were taken in the 90’s. Liberals are just as racist as conservatives can be.
Church burnings have been taking place for a couple weeks…Lytton BC essentially burned down…town totally evacuated. The RCMP are investigating and claim the wildfire nearby the town and the town burning down are separate incidents…makes me wonder if someone set a church on fire…
The Prime Minister and Premiers need to stand up and be leaders and call for an end to these senseless statue toppling and church fires..none of this helps indigenous peoples with their cause…I just hope no one died in the Lytton fire…to soon to tell. The Police say it’s unsafe to search.
An Indigenous affairs minister sent an indigenous MP a racist tweet recently…
As a Canadian and a historian, I’m going to explain some of the key facts you need to know about the Residential School graves making international headlines. A French translation is here: https://tinyurl.com/7zp4sb6h
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
As a US citizen, I recognize the history of racism in my own country. That being said, I am shocked and disgusted by what is being found in Canada…Unfathomable how the Canadian government allowed these things to go on for so long into semi-recent history. What the actual fuck…
Canada is far more racist than most Canadians will admit. Our federal government is racist, our prime minister was caught in photos of him wearing blackface…in one photo he was wearing black body…
These photos were taken in the 90’s. Liberals are just as racist as conservatives can be.
Church burnings have been taking place for a couple weeks…Lytton BC essentially burned down…town totally evacuated. The RCMP are investigating and claim the wildfire nearby the town and the town burning down are separate incidents…makes me wonder if someone set a church on fire…
The Prime Minister and Premiers need to stand up and be leaders and call for an end to these senseless statue toppling and church fires..none of this helps indigenous peoples with their cause…I just hope no one died in the Lytton fire…to soon to tell. The Police say it’s unsafe to search.
An Indigenous affairs minister sent an indigenous MP a racist tweet recently…
In your opinion, what should the Canadian government do to “make things right” for kidnapping and killing and ignoring/covering up their actions?
As a Canadian and a historian, I’m going to explain some of the key facts you need to know about the Residential School graves making international headlines. A French translation is here: https://tinyurl.com/7zp4sb6h
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
As a US citizen, I recognize the history of racism in my own country. That being said, I am shocked and disgusted by what is being found in Canada…Unfathomable how the Canadian government allowed these things to go on for so long into semi-recent history. What the actual fuck…
Canada is far more racist than most Canadians will admit. Our federal government is racist, our prime minister was caught in photos of him wearing blackface…in one photo he was wearing black body…
These photos were taken in the 90’s. Liberals are just as racist as conservatives can be.
Church burnings have been taking place for a couple weeks…Lytton BC essentially burned down…town totally evacuated. The RCMP are investigating and claim the wildfire nearby the town and the town burning down are separate incidents…makes me wonder if someone set a church on fire…
The Prime Minister and Premiers need to stand up and be leaders and call for an end to these senseless statue toppling and church fires..none of this helps indigenous peoples with their cause…I just hope no one died in the Lytton fire…to soon to tell. The Police say it’s unsafe to search.
An Indigenous affairs minister sent an indigenous MP a racist tweet recently…
The PM has already made a statement against the church burnings.
Why would he make a statement against the statue removals? How is that hurting anyone? Here in Victoria BC, a statue was removed from the Inner Harbour yesterday by Indigenous activists and supporters. I don't see why that's a problem. In fact, I'm a little surprised that you are arguing against it, given your general stance against colonizers. It's almost like you're looking for yet another thing to complain about the PM for.
Unfortunately, there have been at least two deaths from the Lytton fire, a couple in their 60s.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Comments
-EV 8/14/93
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Sometimes they make mistakes. So do the teachers, like when my kid came home with a dried out orange peel that "First Nations used to decorate Christmas trees". It's not perfect, but this is countering systemic racism, overall.
-EV 8/14/93
school system.
I'm baffled why anyone disrupts a place of worship. Years ago it was a place of solace and protection. Those days are long gone.
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013
Toronto I&II 2016
10C: 220xxx
Wasn't sure to whom and why they were being burnt but I get it now.
I'm not a residential school survivor... nor do I know anyone who is or was or was directly impacted by it. So I can only sit here and imagine right?
There's a lot going on here with this. And when you sort through the garbage... there is a pretty clear sign here: a particular group of people have been beyond treated badly and unfairly. I don't know... those words don't even seem to do this justice.
I get the institution of the church and it's members and its desire to protect and defend each other.
I think if the tables were turned a bit here, this would be a remarkably different story. If indigenous were somehow responsible for the ethnic cleansing, kidnapping, assault, rape, torture, and murder or thousands of catholic kids. How would people react? How would the church react? How would catholics react?
That's just the start.
What I've been learning and discovering recently makes it all the more disgusting. The church agreed to fundraise as part of reconciliation years ago a sum of $25,000,000 as a form of reparations. (I'm not sure if this was national or just in Sask. .. please feel free to fact check) They provided $4,000,000 and hired lawyers to fight their case that they couldn't afford to pay any more than that... and won the case in court. All the while erecting a massive $30,000,000 modern church.
I grew up catholic. And then I became agnostic. To quote Eddie.. who quoted Bob.... "Even Jesus would never forgive what you do."
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013
Toronto I&II 2016
10C: 220xxx
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013
Toronto I&II 2016
10C: 220xxx
-EV 8/14/93
I see lots of comments from people around the world who either a) think this is an overstated and politicised 'woke Liberal' story or b) had zero idea about this part of Canadian history. Some are wondering why there's talk of 'cancelling Canada Day.' So, let's talk about it.
I want to start by saying that for Indigenous people, this topic is incredibly distressing. The gaslighting in comment sections is equally disturbing. If you are Indigenous and are struggling with this news, you can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. If you are Indigenous and think I have misrepresented any of the following information, please let me know.
For the rest of us, let me explain a few things. Canadian and unsure about the history of Residential Schools? Non-Canadian and not sure what's going on? This is for you.
In Canada, the term Indigenous comprises First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. 1876's Indian Act gave the Federal Government full control over most aspects of Indigenous life. Much of the Indian Act is still in place today.
Residential Schools were a government-mandated policy officially enacted in 1880 with the passage of the Residential Schools Act. (However, French missionaries' efforts to isolate and 'educate' First Nations children date back to the late 18th century.)
These schools were designed to 'kill the Indian in the child." Laws dictated that families must send Indigenous children as young as four to these boarding schools. There were no exceptions. RCMP officers forcibly removed children from families who would not comply.
The schools were often in isolated areas or on islands, as otherwise, children would constantly try to escape and go back to their families. If geographically possible, parents would camp near schools to catch a glimpse of their children and would be driven away by RCMP under threat of violence.
The schools were operated by churches. Approximately 50% were Catholic, and the remainder were Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist. Children were not allowed to speak their language or practice any of their cultural traditions under threat of beating. Religion was used as just one form of abuse.
The schools were overcrowded and often unheated. Children were underfed due to budgetary constraints, and also as a form of both control and punishment. Sexual assault was sickeningly commonplace and often doled out as punishment. Many otherwise healthy children wasted away from depression and homesickness. Some drowned trying to swim home. Others froze to death as they tried to walk home.
In 1907, the Department of Indian Affairs' 'Bryce Report' documented a 40-60% mortality rate at these institutions, mainly from tuberculosis. The same report showed that 90 - 100% of children suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite this information, the schools remained open for another 90 years.
Again - this is all documented fact. None of this is up for debate. Even the most right-wing Canadian understands this as fact.
The graveyards we are finding are filled with unmarked graves. Some include mass graves, in which more than one body was buried at the same time. This is not new information. Residential School survivors have been telling us they're there for generations.
From 2008 - 2015, Canada engaged in one of the largest Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes ever undertaken. It concluded with 94 calls to action, most of which have not been actioned, further eroding Indigenous people's trust in Canada. Many rightfully believe that the TRC was lip service.
Call to Action 75 states: "We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of Calls to Action| 9 appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children."
See, they were telling us those graves were there. I learned about Residential School cemeteries in the early '00s in journal articles. The information has been readily available. No one was listening.
On May 27, 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Nation hired the services of a ground-penetrating radar team and confirmed what was already known. The remains of 215 children lay beneath the soil. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify. To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” stated Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “Some were as young as three years old."
On June 4, 104 potential graves were discovered by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation at Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba. Of these, 78 may be accounted for (but that does not mean that those children were not also abused and/or died of preventable disease). Chief Jennifer Bone says, “We must honour the memory of the children that never made it home by holding the Government of Canada, Churches and all responsible parties accountable for their inhumane actions.”
And most recently, as many as 751 unmarked graves were located near the former site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, associated with the Cowessess First Nation. Again, some of these may be accounted for. That does not diminish the horror. “This was a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations,” says Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan.
I'm not qualified to speak at length about the generational trauma that has ravaged Indigenous communities. Generations of people are struggling with substance abuse as a direct result of the Residential Schools Act, yet many other Canadians don't cut them much slack.
Many of the homeless people in Western Canada’s tent cities are residential school survivors. There is also an ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Despite making up only 10% of the population, Indigenous children represent 52% of those currently in social services care.
For the non-Canadians reading this, you should know that open racism towards Indigenous people in Canada is common and often socially acceptable. (I know this goes against our international reputation.)
Finally, you will see people arguing that these graves are the result of sickness and disease, as if that's somehow okay. You'll even see some people arguing that the number of graves isn't all that high, as life expectancy 'was lower back then.'
Yes, tuberculosis and childhood diseases do account for many of these deaths. But these diseases were allowed to run rampant through filthy and overcrowded institutions. Little malnourished, homesick bodies couldn't fend off the disease. So, they died alone, crying for their mothers.
And then they were buried in the place they hated most, with no record of their death. Some parents were never actually told what happened to their children. They just never came home.
To counter these bad-faith arguments about disease and ‘the number of graves not actually being that high’, we can again look to contemporary sources, such as The Bryce Report. 90 – 100% of children were abused. The schools had a documented mortality rate of 40 – 60%.
Of course, the childhood mortality rate in Canada in 1907 was high, around 25% - 30%. However, these figures include infant mortality, which is much higher, therefore skewing the data. A very conservative estimate puts the mortality rate from TB at Residential Schools (children aged 4 - 18) around three to four times higher than the general population.
Also, remember that these graves do not represent all of the children who died at Residential Schools. We have many oral reports of priests, nuns, and teachers incinerating bodies (especially of those beaten or abused to death) in furnaces, or disposing of them in other ways.
You need to know that these discoveries will continue. There were 139 residential schools in Canada, and nearly 150,000 children attended them over the course of 117+ years. But the graves are not the only horror. The true horror is the fact that we've known about all of this for generations, and that we allowed it to happen until 1997. The shame is the ‘schools’ themselves. The graves are just a physical record of what happened.
This is not about ‘left’ or ‘right.’ Nothing I have written here is disputed. These are facts. The Federal Government, RCMP, local police forces, the courts, and many churches worked together to systematically abuse and eradicate entire generations of kids.
If you feel bad, that’s normal. But sitting around feeling guilty helps no one, especially not Indigenous people. Instead, consistently challenge these comments about ‘short 19th-century life expectancies' and ‘that’s not a mass grave.’ Challenge the people in your life who use racial slurs or anti-Indigenous rhetoric.
If you’re Canadian, write to your MP and demand that they action the 94 TRC Calls to Action. Share and amplify posts by Indigenous people, and include the Survivors' hotline. Listen to what local Indigenous people are asking for, and then help in any way you can – that includes donating generously to Residential School survivors. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277
And at least for this year, consider skipping Canada Day 'celebrations.’ But whether you celebrate or not is less important than insisting on systemic change, donating to survivors, and advocating for the 94 TRC Calls to Action.
Sources:
The TRC Calls to Action http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
The Truth and Reconciliation Final Report https://nctr.ca/records/reports/
The Calls for Justice from the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
History of the Schools:
https://reconciliationcanada.ca/about/history-and-background/background/
The Bryce Report
http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IRSR11-12-DE-1906-1910.pdf
Tk'emlúps Press Release
https://tkemlups.ca/wp-content/uploads/05-May-27-2021-TteS-MEDIA-RELEASE.pdf
Wikipedia Residential School Entry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system#Historya
Ashinabek Overview of Residential Schools
http://www.anishinabek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/An-Overview-of-the-IRS-System-Booklet.pdf
The TRC Index of Missing Children and Unmarked Burials
https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/English_Volume_4_Index_Revised.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3QhO-YaIkXGXtrb81RCFAEeeCeYg0AwN98VIk57XVDlauVAc-WCyIjh2k
Food used as punishment in Residential Schools
https://foodsecurecanada.org/residential-schools-and-using-food-weapon
Research on Indigenous Kids in Care - CTV article
https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/foster-care-replaced-residential-schools-for-indigenous-children-advocates-say-1.5459374
The Horrors of St. Anne's - CBC article
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/st-anne-residential-school-opp-documents?fbclid=IwAR3bBtoaWdrNRYrwYPgvTJNpR_V9AE9evtA8J59O8aSMknG0YGuHNjv3haET
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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Church burnings have been taking place for a couple weeks…Lytton BC essentially burned down…town totally evacuated. The RCMP are investigating and claim the wildfire nearby the town and the town burning down are separate incidents…makes me wonder if someone set a church on fire…
The Prime Minister and Premiers need to stand up and be leaders and call for an end to these senseless statue toppling and church fires..none of this helps indigenous peoples with their cause…I just hope no one died in the Lytton fire…to soon to tell. The Police say it’s unsafe to search.
The PM has already made a statement against the church burnings.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politicians-indigenous-leaders-say-burning-churches-not-the-way-to-get-justice
Why would he make a statement against the statue removals? How is that hurting anyone? Here in Victoria BC, a statue was removed from the Inner Harbour yesterday by Indigenous activists and supporters. I don't see why that's a problem. In fact, I'm a little surprised that you are arguing against it, given your general stance against colonizers. It's almost like you're looking for yet another thing to complain about the PM for.
Unfortunately, there have been at least two deaths from the Lytton fire, a couple in their 60s.