The numbers of shame and pain continue to rise in Canada. The authorities of the Keeseekoose reservation, located in the province of Saskatchewan and inhabited by members of the Saulteaux people, announced the discovery of 54 unmarked graves on land belonging to two former boarding schools for indigenous children. 42 were discovered on downtown Fort Pelly and 12 on St. Philip. “These are not isolated cases, but deaths that were hidden. Someone must answer for these acts,” said Lee Kitchemonia, head of the reserve, at a press conference.
Kitchemonia stated that it has been very difficult for her community to know that these graves were close to where they carry out many of their daily activities. “It’s very hurtful because of the way they hid them,” she added. The discovery in this area of Saskatchewan is the fifth of its kind. Last May, 215 unmarked graves were found in Kamloops, British Columbia. In June, she took the turn at 751 at the former boarding school in Marieval, Saskatchewan. A few weeks later, 182 were added on St. Eugene’s Mission grounds in British Columbia. In late January, 93 were discovered at St. Joseph’s Mission, British Columbia.
The network of Canadian boarding schools for indigenous children was made up of 139 centers. The first opened in 1883; the last one closed in 1996. Its financing was carried out by the federal government, while its administration was in the hands of religious communities (mostly Catholic). Some 150,000 native minors passed through these institutions. In 2019, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established that 4,134 children died in these centers. However, some experts estimate more than 6,000 deaths. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared last July: “The biggest mistake this country has made is the forced assimilation of indigenous minors through boarding schools.”
Ted Quewezance, former leader of the Keeseekoose reservation and coordinator of the search team, said the finds were made possible by ground-penetrating radar. Quewezance noted that stories about these deaths have circulated for decades in his community. “We all knew we were going to find graves,” he noted. Fort Pelly Boarding School was open from 1895 to 1913, while St. Philip’s School operated from 1928 to 1969. Both were run by Catholic congregations.
Marc Miller, federal minister for Crown relations with indigenous groups, called the discovery a “painful reminder” of the ongoing trauma created by boarding schools. For his part, Scott Moe, Prime Minister of Saskatchewan, said that the province is in mourning and offered his full support to the indigenous communities.
Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina (the capital of this province), was present at the press conference. “We need to hear his stories. I feel your emotions and your pain. I am truly sorry for the abuse, racism, and intergenerational trauma that you have suffered,” he told residents of the reservation. A delegation made up of indigenous leaders and members of the Canadian Bishops’ Conference will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican at the end of March. Indigenous groups in the country ask the Pontiff to apologize for the Church’s role in boarding schools. The meeting was scheduled for last December, but was rescheduled due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.
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