Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa
Shock and sadness.
Just some of the reaction to the discovery of the remains of 215 children, buried on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford says to pay respect to the children, their families, and survivors of Canada’s residential school system, Premier Doug Ford has ordered provincial flags to be flown at half-mast.
They will remain there for 215 days at the request of Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa.
The Department of Canadian Heritage says flags at all federal buildings and establishments across Canada will be remain lowered until further notice “in memory of the thousands of children who were sent to residential schools, for those who never returned and in honour of the families whose lives were forever changed.”
Rickford says the residential school era is a dark chapter in Canada’s history, with Indigenous families and communities continuing to experience multi-generational trauma.
He notes the discovery hits close to home for many First Nations people across the country and Ontario who lost family and community members to the residential school system.
“We continue to strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners to support healing and make reconciliation real by advancing initiatives that will make a meaningful difference in the lives to Indigenous people and communities,” says Rickford.
Mamakwa says the discovery has underscored the daunting amount of work to be done to ensure justice, dignity and equity for Indigenous peoples.
He adds they are hurting and in pain, remembering all those lost in the destruction of what residential schools have left behind.
The NDP critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations says the death of First Nations children is a crime against humanity, but Canada has never treated it as such.
He wants both levels of senior government to work with all First Nations at the sites of the schools and look for their lost children.
“It is a great open secret that our children lie on the properties of the former schools, an open secret that Canadians can no longer look away from. In keeping with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Missing Children Projects, every school site must be searched for the graves of our ancestors,” says Mamakwa.
“Canada must also demand apologies from those who helped commit these heinous crimes. Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and all other churches involved must own up to their part in the genocide, apologize and offer financial restitution to survivors and the families of those lost,” adds Mamakwa.
He’s also calling on the provincial government to institute an annual Day of Mourning and Remembrance for those who we’ve lost to residential schools and to survivors.
