'What went on at residential schools was not genocide': Michelle Stirling

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Independent researcher and journalist Michelle Stirling joined The Gunn Show to discuss her work using archival records to debunk the sensationalism around claims of genocide taking place at former residential schools.

Stirling spoke about the 'mass grave' claim in Kamloops that sparked a wave of anti-Christian sentiment and church burnings across the country.

"When the first story of 'mass graves' came out I too felt terrible. But it was my understanding that what probably had been discovered at the time might have been like a mass grave related to say a typhus epidemic or tuberculosis, [or the] passing of a family, because entire families often passed away from it," she said.

WATCH: Church arsons continue across Canada, and the arsonists are getting out on bail

Over 100 churches have been targeted across Canada since unsubstantiated claims of unmarked graves found at a former residential school site in Kamloops.https://t.co/k9jT2MkCXi

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) August 26, 2024

Stirling also discussed how claims of genocide surrounding residential schools are not accurate and how written forms of Indigenous oral language were created which benefited some of the communities.

"The whole concept of a genocide is ludicrous because I also did a documentary on the many genocides in the world and it was so dark that we actually decided not to release it," she said.

"But what went on at residential schools was not genocide," she explained. Stirling added that "some did suffer, but many did benefit."