Ontario pledges $10 million to identify and commemorate boarding school graveyards

Ontario pledges $10 million to identify and commemorate boarding school graveyards

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Warning: This story contains some details that may be painful for readers.

Governor Ford announced at a press conference on Tuesday morning that the provincial government will allocate 10 million Canadian dollars over three years to identify, investigate and commemorate boarding school graveyards in Ontario.

The announcement comes as more and more Aboriginal communities are calling for funding and logistical support to search the properties of former boarding schools to find unmarked graves of children forced to attend these institutions.

Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh is a great chief of the aboriginal people of Northwest Ontario and Manitoba Treaty 3. He acknowledged the province’s commitment and said that the recent news about Canadian boarding schools has reopened the old wounds of the indigenous people.

“To be honest, it affects every member of the Aboriginal people in this land we call Canada,” he said.

Kavanaugh said that some people might call what happened at the boarding school “cultural genocide”-but the reality is more terrifying.

“For us, this is genocide. This is what happened. They want to destroy us,” he said.

Watch | Treaty 3 The Chieftain talks about the cemetery of the boarding school:

Francis Kavanaugh, the Great Chief of the Aboriginal People of Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba’s 3rd Treaty Area, said that it is necessary to respect those who may be buried in unmarked graves on boarding school properties in northwestern Ontario. The souls of children”. 1:04

At the end of last month, British Columbia’s Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation revealed the preliminary results of a survey on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Boarding School (which was once Canada’s largest boarding school) Indicates that the remains of more than 200 children may have been buried at the site.

This disturbing discovery sparked a national outcry and demanded that Canada, its government, and non-indigenous people finally deal with the dark legacy of boarding schools and the lasting trauma it has caused to generations of indigenous people.

Ford said: “There is painful but necessary work ahead. We must face what happened to achieve reconciliation.”

The province says the search will be led by the community

Officials said at a press conference that the new funds will also be used to ensure that “survivors of Indian boarding schools, their families and indigenous communities can receive culturally appropriate mental health support that understands trauma.”

Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Greg Rickford (Greg Rickford) said on Tuesday that any search and recovery work must be led by the community, which is vital.

“Each stage of this work must and will be guided by indigenous communities,” Rickford said.

Watch | Other First Nations goal is to find unmarked graves after they are found in Kamloops, British Columbia:

Warning: This story contains painful details. After Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reported that human remains were found at the site of a former boarding school, more aborigines have begun to search for unmarked graves-but experts say it is not as simple as using this technology . 2:04

The province stated that it will designate experts such as archaeologists, forensic experts and historians to lead related research, analysis and technical fields to ensure that the work is “carried out with the highest standards.”

Kiiwetinoong’s New Democratic Party MPP Sol Mamakwa said on Tuesday that $10 million is a “trivial” amount considering the work that needs to be done.

“When we talk about 18 boarding schools…in Ontario, 10 million Canadian dollars in three years is just a drop in the bucket,” he said.

“We welcome it, but I hope this is just the beginning.”

According to a provincial press release, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) estimates that at least 426 children who were in boarding schools in Ontario are known to have died, but the whereabouts of the unknown number are still unknown.

Officials said that TRC research has identified 12 unmarked cemeteries in Ontario, but there may be more.

“More remains will be found,” Kavanaugh said. According to the province, there are 18 boarding schools in Ontario, the last of which was closed in 1991. Some websites have been reused, abandoned or destroyed.

Justice first

The federal government has allocated US$27.1 million to assist Indigenous communities in identifying unmarked cemeteries at the former boarding school.

The six Rio Grande countries in Ontario have requested more than one-third of the funding Searching for possible child remains on the grounds of the former Mohawk College boarding school.

Chief Mark Hill said that a full investigation is a major but necessary requirement.

Hill said at a press conference on Tuesday that the people of the six nations are still “affected by intergenerational trauma” and must seek justice.

“We can’t skip justice and go straight to commemoration,” Hill said. “Remembrance is important, but it’s not the reason we are here today.”

The boarding school’s intentions are clear, and Hill said: “Change us and make us different.”

Although there were no representatives at the press conference on Tuesday, there were also calls for the Catholic Church to participate in the reconciliation process.

Rickford said he believes that the church should “be an integral part of this process within the scope of their participation.”

Watch | Indigenous Services Minister Greg Rickford speaks on the power and politics of CBC:

Ontario will provide 10 million U.S. dollars in three years to search the graveyards of Indian boarding schools. Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Services, discussed the announcement with Power & Politics. 10:01

Although Pope Francis has Means “to get close to traumatized Canadians” Kavanaugh said that with this discovery in British Columbia, more things are needed.

“I believe the Catholic Church needs to step forward and work hard to bring the Pope to Canada and formally apologize to all the aboriginal people in Canada,” Kavanaugh said.

The news from Kamloops also intensified the pressure to change the name of Toronto Ryerson University. Egerton Ryerson (Egerton Ryerson) is named after the school and is considered the main designer of the Canadian boarding school system.

After a demonstration in support of boarding school survivors earlier this month, the statue of Ryerson on the school campus was At the site of the 1492 Land Back Lane protest in Caledonia, Ontario, its head was pushed down, chopped off and nailed..


Anyone affected by the boarding school experience and those affected by the latest report can get support.

A nationwide Indian boarding school crisis hotline has been established to provide support to former students and those affected. People can call the 24-hour national crisis hotline: 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services.

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