Girls sewing at St. Joseph's Mission; their products were usually sold to raise money for the school.
Two days ago I was scrolling through Twitter and noticed on APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network that the report on the search for graves on the grounds of the St. Joseph's Mission Residential School on the Williams Lake First Nation in British Columbia was about to be shared with the public.
As I clicked on the link I realized that I'd happened on the live feed of the news conference and for the next half hour or more I watched and listened. As shocking as previous revelations have been by other Indigenous communities this touched me in a visceral way because it was so direct.
Chief Willie Sellars
Willie Sellars the chief of Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) spoke in a measured and dignified manner about the preliminary findings of their investigation into St. Joseph's Mission Residential School and nearby Onward Ranch, based on a probe of 14 out of 470 hectares that have been identified as areas of interest.
His opening remarks spoke of a 90-year history of trauma and terror and death which is hard to comprehend when those who ran it were Roman Catholic Oblate brothers, including one who was brought in for the sole purpose of meting out physical punishment, and nuns, including some from an order supposedly devoted to the infant Jesus. Students were forced into labour, essentially slaver, bringing complaints from neighbours who felt this resulted in unfair competition. Girls were raped by staff members and sent away when they became pregnant. Language was extinquished. This was systematic, violent genocide. Some survivors have spoken of bodies which were thrown into the incinerator rather than buried. There were names of those who suffered and those who died, including a child who escaped but died of exposure.
Chief Sellars' preamble was followed by the report by Whitney Spearing, who led the investigation team. She said the 93 sites were identified using ground-penetrating radar, along with aerial and terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors. She said some may be connected to a known historical cemetery, but 50 appear to have no association with it. She added that while the 93 sites show "reflections" that suggest human burials, the only way to confirm that would be through excavation.
I left the news conference feeling overwhelmed, grieving, angry, wondering what this must have been like for those who lived through the horrors. While some staff members including a bishop were eventually convicted of crimes, many were not brought to justice. Bringing the truth to light is essential, but what a cost for those who suffered then and continue to suffer now through the generations. We have so far to go in the process of reconciliation.
God be with those who were wronged and may they know peace
Boys from the St. Joseph's Mission chopping wood.
Yesterday was "Let's Talk" day in Canada. Why not add "Let's Walk" for mental, physical, and spiritual health? Today's Groundling blog groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/01/how-ab
This breaks my heart - again ! I cannot comprehend how any people who profess to be followers of Christ could do this, behave like this, and expect to never be criticized for it ! To feel self righteous, even ! Horrific !
ReplyDeleteYes Judy, it was evil and so are efforts to minimize what happened and to avoid apologies and reparations by some expressions of Christ's church.
ReplyDelete