Residential school apology must be followed with action, survivors say
Survivors and Indigenous leaders are weighing in on an apology from Catholic bishops for the church’s involvement in the residential school system.
The bishops said the system suppressed Indigenous people’s way of living and they acknowledged the grave abuses that were committed by some members of the Catholic community.
And while some feel the apology is an important step towards reconciliation, they say words must be followed with action.
“Unless the Pope apologizes everything is meaningless and unless they start taking real steps to help us towards healing nothing will change,” said Gerald McIvor, who identifies as a victim not a survivor because of what he lived through as a child.
For four years he attended the residential school run by the Roman Catholic Church in his home community of Sandy Bay First Nation.
“The abuse, the denial of our identity, our languages, our culture … that never leaves you because the sad thing about it is everything came home with you, came home with the students,” McIvor said.
On Friday, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops apologized for the church’s role in the residential school system but McIvor feels the apology will do little to help people still living with the ongoing trauma and legacy of suffering.
Many did not return home. It’s estimated thousands died while attending residential schools, a reality brought once again to the country’s attention earlier this year with the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across Canada.
In their statement of apology, the bishops expressed their profound remorse and apologized unequivocally to Indigenous people.
“We acknowledge the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural and sexual,” reads a portion of the apology.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said it’s been a long time coming and hopes the apology is followed with action.
“I think it’s a significant announcement, I think it’s something that will lay forward a path to move on,” Dumas said.
Raymond Frogner, head of archives for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, echoed that sentiment.
“It’s never meant to be the ultimate solution, it’s another step forward in acknowledgment, in recognition, in accepting responsibility for the history of the residential schools,” Frogner said. “Residential schools run by the Catholic orders had the highest death rates, had significant hardship in them in comparison with others.”
At a sacred healing camp that arose on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building in response to the discovery of unmarked graves, organizer Aaliyah Leach expressed skepticism about the apology.
“I’m almost wondering was it because it was expected or because it was genuine,” Leach said. “One thing in the apology that I had read is that they stand by us in our resilience and strength but a lot of that resilience and strength has been demonstrated through surviving legitimate genocide.”
“There’s so much more that needs to be done.”
The bishops committed to provide documentation or records on unmarked graves and have pledged $30 million to support healing and reconciliation initiatives
For their part the bishops said the $30 million fundraising goal will take up to five years to complete and will be achieved by fundraising at the local level with parishes across Canada encouraged to participate.
In the apology the bishops pointed to a delegation of Indigenous survivors, elders and youth who will meet with Pope Francis in December in Rome.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Trucker's body found in trailer in Newfoundland after failed police search in Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.