215 children

[pigletto]

As a child who grew up in the Canadian educational system, we were barely taught about this history. It’s appalling to hear about these children who were discovered. You have to imagine there are so, so many more that we don’t know about yet.

I will say that my children were not only taught about it but it was huge part of their 7th and 8th grade curriculum and that’s how I learned the breadth of depth of these atrocities. I’m glad I know but what a thing to learn with your kids .
As Canadians we can be pretty smug . We have a beautiful and largely peaceful country but we also turn our heads from uncomfortable truths. The uncomfortable truth here is this was genocide . And any mother or father who can’t imagine having their child taken by the government and then not even being told why they never came home and find empathy isn’t human . These policies caused generations of agony for these people and we will need to spend generations loving them and apologizing. It will never be enough , but it’s a start.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I was reading about this yesterday. I thought only the United States were criminal against it's indigenous peoples in North America. Very eye opening, and sad. Horrific, actually.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In order to clarify misconceptions; there is plenty of blame to go around amongst many denominations at that time, all of whom were eager to be coopted into the overarching political goal of forced assimilation and "claim" the souls for their team (see note under 1884):
View attachment 578806

Thank you for providing that. The articles I had read really only called out the Catholic church including a request by Trudeau from the pope in 2018 I believe and then this from another article I had been reading the other day "The discovery has also prompted renewed scrutiny of the Roman Catholic Church, which operated the Kamloops school from 1890 to 1969." so that's why I mentioned only that but I appreciate you clarifying it wasn't just them.

 

[ronandannette]

I will say that my children were not only taught about it but it was huge part of their 7th and 8th grade curriculum and that’s how I learned the breadth of depth of these atrocities. I’m glad I know but what a thing to learn with your kids .
As Canadians we can be pretty smug . We have a beautiful and largely peaceful country but we also turn our heads from uncomfortable truths. The uncomfortable truth here is this was genocide . And any mother or father who can’t imagine having their child taken by the government and then not even being told why they never came home and find empathy isn’t human . These policies caused generations of agony for these people and we will need to spend generations loving them and apologizing. It will never be enough , but it’s a start.

Now if we could just all imagine what it's like to not have clean, safe drinking water in the middle of an extremely wealthy, first-world country, maybe we could get some action on that too. Or will it remain just another thing for future governments to apologize for?

 

[ronandannette]

Thank you for providing that. The articles I had read really only called out the Catholic church including a request by Trudeau from the pope in 2018 I believe and then this from another article I had been reading the other day "The discovery has also prompted renewed scrutiny of the Roman Catholic Church, which operated the Kamloops school from 1890 to 1969." so that's why I mentioned only that but I appreciate you clarifying it wasn't just them.

The Kamloops facility was operated by Catholics, as were many others, but there is a bit of a knowledge gap about other perpetrators whom, while they may have impacted fewer children, impacted those individual lives just as profoundly. This issue to too important not to strive for a full and accurate understanding.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The Kamloops facility was operated by Catholics, as were many others, but there is a bit of a knowledge gap about other perpetrators whom, while they may have impacted fewer children, impacted those individual lives just as profoundly. This issue to too important not to strive for a full and accurate understanding.

I agree

 

[ronandannette]

I agree

And although it may go without saying, I should add this is not a partisan political thing either. The federal government was alternately formed by both major political parties many times during the period of history reflected - nobody here has the high-ground.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Yes many organizations share the blame. I know I singled out the Catholic Church and I probably shouldn't have. I do believe the Kamloops school was run by the Catholic school. United and Anglican churches are also responsible.
I just don't understand how people of faith could have been so mean. I realize it's not limited to Canadian residential schools. Ireland is another example of horrible human rights violation by the church.
But how can people live with themselves after doing what they did? Some of them that are still living should be named and brought to justice.

ETA - this may be a unpopular opinion but I find that Gen X and younger are sympathetic to the survivors. However I find that older generations (Boomers) still tend to be racist "they had to be taken away as the parents were drunks". "they are making it up for money". "get over it"
It's horrible. And of course that is a HUGE blanket statement but just what I have experienced in personal lives and reading on social media, literature, etc. That generation just seems dead set on not believing that we caused this intergenerational trauma to a huge segment of our own population.

 

[ronandannette]

Yes many organizations share the blame. I know I singled out the Catholic Church and I probably shouldn't have. I do believe the Kamloops school was run by the Catholic school. United and Anglican churches are also responsible.
I just don't understand how people of faith could have been so mean. I realize it's not limited to Canadian residential schools. Ireland is another example of horrible human rights violation by the church.
But how can people live with themselves after doing what they did? Some of them that are still living should be named and brought to justice.

I agree; it's horrific and heartbreaking and as a Christian, I wish I could repent on behalf of all of us.

 

[prairie_girl]

This news has definitely made me understand more how sins of the past can affect generations to come.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was reading about this yesterday. I thought only the United States were criminal against it's indigenous peoples in North America. Very eye opening, and sad. Horrific, actually.

It’s a global issue - wherever there are humans. And it still exists in places today.

 

[CdnCarrie]

What really stood out for me years ago was learning they did not get to go home for Christmas holidays. We think of boarding schools when they go home for T-day, Christmas, etc. These children were not allowed to leave the property as the whole point was to make them lose their culture and assimilate. They only went home for summer. We are talking kids age 5 and 6! Of course they grew up not knowing how to parent!

 

[pigletto]

Not just the States at all . We were just as bad .

I was reading about this yesterday. I thought only the United States were criminal against it's indigenous peoples in North America. Very eye opening, and sad. Horrific, actually.

 

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

Wow...I just read this thread and must have missed the original news on this. How did they explain to the families when the children didn't return home? At some point, wouldn't the families question their absence?

 

[NotUrsula]

Wow...I just read this thread and must have missed the original news on this. How did they explain to the families when the children didn't return home? At some point, wouldn't the families question their absence?

More than likely, if they were told anything, it was that they ran away. What is more likely is that it really was not questioned, because people were afraid of bringing attention to themselves, for fear of what else the authorities might do to them as punishment for daring to question.

Also, Pea-n-Me is right; it's global. Do some research on Kipling and "The White Man's Burden" to understand the flawed thinking that fueled it, even among people who had no personal opportunity to gain from it.

 

[CdnCarrie]

The federal government has passed a bill creating a national holiday for government employees in memory of residential schools.
Unbelievable.
instead of helping Indigenous people they are giving government employees another paid vacation day.

 

[ronandannette]

The federal government has passed a bill creating a national holiday for government employees in memory of residential schools.
Unbelievable.
instead of helping Indigenous people they are giving government employees another paid vacation day.

I hadn't heard, but that's disgusting. Right now here in Calgary the school boards are in the process of re-naming two schools; Langevin School in the public system and Bishop Grandin in the Catholic system. Just gestures? Well yes, but still somehow better than what you're describing.

ETA: Although this story has been reported on in every possible media 24/7 for a week, one thing I have yet to hear is from the First Nations people themselves. What do they want to be happening right now? What actions would be a meaningful and respectful to them?

 

[BLAZEY]

I was horrified. Do they know who killed them or how they died?

Most likely diseases like TB, they were rampant in the deplorable conditions the children were forced to live in at the schools. Combined with poor nutrition, lack of basic medical care, beatings, freezing or sweltering conditions, many would have died in outbreaks of disease.

 

[BLAZEY]

The federal government has passed a bill creating a national holiday for government employees in memory of residential schools.
Unbelievable.
instead of helping Indigenous people they are giving government employees another paid vacation day.

Government employees don't need a day off to mourn. There are multiple generations of people left broken by this legacy. And let's not for get the Churches hand in all of this. The schools were started by churches of many denominations at the behest of the crown before confederation, and later with the approval of the federal and provincial governments. I think the Churches should lose all tax exemptions, and those funds along with the sale of stolen wealth, and contributions from both levels of government should go to fund mental health care and healing for survivors and their families of which there are many. The last of these terrible institutions closed in 1996!

 

[ronandannette]

Yesterday was Canada’s National Indigenous Peoples Day. Also this happened:
https://vancouversun.com/news/local...urn-to-ground-on-first-nations-land-overnight