Residential School ‘denialism’ undermines reconciliation with First Nations, says memo

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   July 23, 2024   |   Be the first to comment

A federal memo claims Indian Residential School “denialism” undermines reconciliation with First Nations, although the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations has yet to define the term.

“As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission taught us, ‘Without truth, justice and healing there can be no genuine reconciliation,’” said the June 19 note Combating Residential School Denialism, cited by Blacklock’s Reporter. 

“Confronting the lasting impacts of the Residential School system is a foundational aspect of reconciliation which denialism threatens to undermine,” it said.

“We must not deny what happened to Indigenous children at Residential Schools across the country and the resulting pain and intergenerational trauma that still haunts survivors, families and communities. All Canadians have a role to play in learning about and addressing the ongoing impacts of Residential Schools.”

A 2023 Senate committee report described questions regarding the 215 alleged graves as “Residential School denialism.”

“Denialism serves to distract people from the horrific consequences of Residential Schools and the realities of missing children, burials and unmarked graves,” said the Senate Indigenous Peoples Committee report, Honouring The Children Who Never Came Home. 

“The committee is of the view that education and advocacy can effectively combat denialism,” it said. Senators recommended “that the Government of Canada take every action necessary to combat the rise of Residential School denialism.”

Rebel News attempted to contact Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation on whether dissenting thought should be criminalized but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The Trudeau government previously appointed a special interlocutor, Kimberly Murray, who says Indigenous leaders want Canada to criminalize “denialism.”

Governor General Mary Simon previously blamed unnamed media for propagating “denialism.” Unidentified media are trying to “control the story of Indigenous peoples,” she said.

Following the use of the term “mass grave," media and politicians popularized the term, reported The National Post. The outrage propelled the destruction of over 60 churches in the summer of 2021.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2021 ordered the Peace Tower flag lowered for 161 days after the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation announced its discovery of “unmarked graves” in Kamloops, B.C. 

“I think Canadians have seen with horror those unmarked graves across the country, and realize what happened … is an irrefutable part of our present,” he told reporters then.

Chief Roseanne Casimir, at the time, said the survey results were “very preliminary.” She later clarified: “This is not a mass grave, but rather unmarked burial sites that are, to our knowledge, also undocumented.”

The First Nation distanced itself from the popularized “mass grave” claim last month. They referred to preliminary findings from ground-penetrating radar as “roughly 200” anomalies, “some of which might be unmarked graves of former students.” 

Chief Casimir employed similar language in a May statement as the 2021 declaration, replacing “children” with “anomalies.”

A “sacred covenant” earlier struck between the First Nation, Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller, and Kamloops Bishop Joseph Ngyuen notes more research is required “to determine what exists in that part of the former residential school site.”

In the summer of 2022, the office of Chief Casimir received an independent site inspection report proposing the “anomalies” were likely the result of ground disturbances going back decades. It cites irrigation ditches, backhoe trenches, and utility and water lines are potential sources.

“Details of initiatives taken by Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation are best directed to the community,” said Caroline Gratton, spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Relations. Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation withheld the research, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. 

The department in a separate June 19 note Unmarked Burials said investigations were ongoing. “The truth about Residential School unmarked burials continues to be revealed,” it said. “Funding is available.”

The Trudeau government confirmed at the time it spent $7.9 million to uncover “unmarked graves” at the former residential school, yet no remains have been recovered.

An updated incident map from True North showed at least 96 churches had been destroyed, burned or vandalized in Canada since the spring of 2021 when the news of alleged '"unmarked graves" first broke. 

Alex Dhaliwal

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