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Abuse of Indigenous schools in Canada: a timeline

#Abuse #Indigenous #schools #Canada #timeline

For a century, tens of thousands of Indigenous, Inuit and Metis children in Canada were forcibly enrolled in state boarding schools, isolated from their families, language and culture as part of a failed policy of assimilation.

Canada has grappled with the reality of that brutal past for some time, but the discovery of the remains of children buried in hundreds of unmarked graves at a former school last year catapulted them back into the national consciousness, triggering shock and soul-searching out.

Here is a timeline of those events:

– Government Apology, 2008 –

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized to indigenous peoples in June 2008 for “failing them so badly”.

“We are sorry,” he said in the House of Commons, flanked by boarders, adding that “the treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history”.

– Truth and Reconciliation, 2015 –

A truth and reconciliation commission compiled a historical record of the boarding school experience after six years of questioning more than 6,500 alumni and others, concluding in 2015 that it amounted to “cultural genocide.”

Many of the children were physically and sexually abused by teachers and school principals, say commissioners, who noted at least 4,100 children died from disease, malnutrition or neglect. They estimate the actual toll to be significantly higher.

The commission also blames school policies for high incidences of poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence, as well as high rates of suicide in indigenous communities.

– Unmarked graves found, May 2021 –

Tk’emlups te Secwepemc chief Rosanne Casimir announces the discovery in May 2021 of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia using ground penetrating radar.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ordering Canadian flags on federal buildings to be lowered to half-mast – and said they would remain so until Indigenous communities say it’s okay to fly them again

They remain lowered for almost six months.

In June, Saskatchewan’s Cowesses First Nation announced that up to 751 unmarked graves had been discovered near the former Marieval Indian Residential School.

The Lower Kootenay Band also says they found 182 unmarked graves at St. Eugene’s Mission School in British Columbia.

Several more searches will begin in the coming months, eventually bringing the total number of unmarked graves found to over 1,300.

– No Celebration Canada, July 2021 –

Victoria and other cities are canceling Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2021 to allow “thoughtful reflections” on the nation’s colonial past.

Police, meanwhile, are reporting a spate of vandalism at churches and statues of monarchs, which have been sprayed with red paint and torn down.

Mary Simon is appointed Canada’s first indigenous governor-general.

– Day of Truth and Reconciliation, September 2021 –

Canada marks its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2021.

“The tragic location of unmarked graves at former boarding schools across the country has reminded us not only of the impact of colonialism and the harsh realities of our collective past, but also of the work that is paramount to promoting reconciliation in Canada.” , says Trudeau .

– Apologies from the Pope, April 2022 –

Pope Francis apologizes April 1, 2022 for the abuses in church schools and the harm inflicted on generations of indigenous peoples.

The Vatican also announces that the Pope will travel to Canada to deliver his apology in person on indigenous peoples’ sacred lands.

– Prince Charles acknowledges suffering, May 2022 –

Prince Charles recognizes the suffering of Canada’s indigenous peoples and spoke during an official visit to Canada on behalf of the Queen in May 2022.

“We must find new ways to deal with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past. Recognition, reconciliation and striving for betterment is a process that begins with listening,” he says.

– Pope’s visit, July 2022-

Although Pope Francis has canceled numerous events in recent months due to knee pain that has forced him to use a wheelchair, he will visit Edmonton, Iqaluit and Quebec City at the end of July.

There he will meet with indigenous survivors of abuse in boarding schools.

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#Abuse #Indigenous #schools #Canada #timeline

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