The recent discovery of the bodily remains of 215 indigenous children near Kamloops, BC brought back many memories of the summer that I worked in the northernmost part of British Columbia forty years ago. Five out of the six local families were First Nations. I listened to their stories and learned about their culture and hardships of living in remote parts of Canada. I also knew about the forced separations of kids from their families to live in residential schools far away. Some parents hid their children from the Canadian government. I remembered riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by a 14 year old indigenous boy who did not have a birth certificate. In my 18-year old mind, indigenous people are strong yet gentle. I have gained a deep respect for the First Nations Canadians.
So far no details were revealed about the identity of the 215 children. I pray that the identity and cause of death of each child could be sorted out and proper reburials could take place soon. With modern technology, this task should not be too challenging even though many school records are missing or destroyed. The First Nations people have expressed their desire to keep the residential schools standing. Perhaps some of these buildings could be turned into museums so that future generations can learn from this dark chapter in Canadian history how to maintain equality of all cultures in Canada. Multiculturalism can then truly exist in the country. Defacing the statues of historical figures such as John A. Macdonald and Egerton Ryerson does not do anything to rectify their wrongdoings or to change history.
In terms of the atrocities that the residential school students had to face under the administration of the Catholic church, the Pope should apologize to the First Nations families for the prejudice and negligence of the priests and nuns who ran the residential schools. In addition, the church should submit all the records in their possession. It is a common practice for three levels of Canadian government to "contract" out everyday operation of public services e.g. schools, hospitals, housing, etc. to non-profit organizations. More often than not, these NPO's breach the trust that the public has placed in them and mismanage according to their whims. In this case, the abuses these residential school students suffered, were apparently results of the personality flaws of the authoritative figures (priests and nuns).
People in mainstream society worry that there will be a lot of litigations brought forth by admitting to past mistakes. However, we must realize that reconciliation and moving forward can only start by uncovering the truth, acknowledging and apologizing to wrongdoings. To all the children who suffered and/or passed away in residential schools, I offer you my heart and tears. May all these young, innocent souls rest in peace.
