Submitted
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, the national voice representing the interests of M茅tis, status and non-status Indians, and 麻豆传媒AVern Inuit Indigenous People living off-reserve, issued the following statement Monday:
It is with great dismay that we recognize Canada鈥檚 Indigenous children whose lives were lost while suffering at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Two-hundred-fifteen children had their lives cut short while being systematically persecuted and abused by the Government of Canada and religious authorities.听These children were never given the chance to embrace their family heritage and culture, and were instead subject to forced assimilation. There must be accountability from federal, provincial, and religious officials as our people come to terms with this atrocity, and we investigate the sites of Canada鈥檚 other residential schools.
Elmer St Pierre, National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples shares said:
鈥淲hat we have seen over the weekend triggers extreme trauma for the Indigenous Peoples who experienced the abuse of Canada鈥檚 residential school system first hand.听Words cannot听express听our sympathy听to all of听the families of the 215 children unearthed at听Tk鈥檈mlups te Secw茅pemc First Nation in Kamloops, B.C. These were innocent听lives, the sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandsons and granddaughters. They听were violently stolen听by the Government of Canada, with the intent of听exterminating听their culture, language and way of life.
鈥淭his was not an isolated incident.听The residential school system was in operation until 1996, and our governments must take ownership of the costs associated with a full investigation of these sites.听Thousands of children were taken from their families never to return.听The survivors continue to carry the experience with them to this day, and continue to听fight against听the destruction of their language, culture and communities.鈥�
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 calls to action in its landmark 2015 report. These included measures to improve child welfare protections, education, language, health,听and other areas where ongoing damage was seen from the legacy of residential schools. According to the Yellowhead Institute, only nine of the 94 calls to action have been completed as of 2021.听This is disgraceful.
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