Since May 2021, Canadians have been shocked and saddened by the news reports regarding potential unmarked graves on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. We pray for all those affected by the tragedies that occurred there and at other residential schools in our country. They must never be forgotten.
There were 139 Indian Residential Schools identified by the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA; 2006). 65 schools were administered by Catholic institutions; 16 by dioceses and the remainder by religious orders. Indian Residential Schools ran between 1870 and 1996, and over 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended these schools, including some who were forcibly removed from their homes.
It is necessary for all of us to seek the full truth of what happened. The news reports provide us with an opportunity to learn more about this dark chapter in our history and the pain experienced by so many.
The various apologies offered over the years cannot erase the tragedy of the past. We are compelled to take actions that will lead to healing. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Report contained 94 Calls to Action which provide a roadmap for this important work.
We join with the Indigenous Peoples, the Catholic community and all Canadians in grieving for those who were physically, emotionally and spiritually abused by the Indian Residential School system.
We must continue to build on reconciliation initiatives present throughout the country, such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, through which Indigenous Peoples, lay Catholics, bishops, priests, and women and men religious have committed to walking together on a path towards healing. We are all being called to listen and learn first and then to find ways we can journey together to find light in the darkness, so that new life can begin.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.
The most frequently asked questions appear below, with answers from the TRC Report, the Archdioceses of Vancouver and Toronto as well as other contributors and sources. If you have further questions, please send them here.
The disclosure of 215 unmarked graves in late May 2021 will require further investigation to seek the truth of who these children were, how they each died and why some of them were buried far from home. The School, opened in 1890, was built and initially operated by the federal government. In 1892, the federal government asked the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to take over operations, which they did until 1969. The government resumed operation of the school from 1969 until its closure in 1979.
The Oblates issued a formal apology in 1991, in addition to paying settlements to residential school survivors. An excerpt of their apology reads as follows:
“We wish to apologize in a very particular way for the instances of physical and sexual abuse that occurred in those schools…Far from attempting to defend or rationalize these cases of abuse in any way, we wish to state publicly that we acknowledge they were inexcusable, intolerable and a betrayal of trust in one of its most serious forms. We deeply and very specifically, apologize to every victim of such abuse and we seek help in searching for means to bring about healing.”
All records held by the Archdiocese of Vancouver regarding residential schools were submitted to the TRC, and they remain available for review. The TRC approved of the submission made by the Archdiocese, and Archbishop Michael Miller addressed the Commission in September 2013 at the Pacific Coliseum.
The Oblates who ran the Kamloops Indian Residential School also provided records to the TRC.
Indigenous groups, as well as various government and Church officials, submitted some information to the TRC regarding Indian Residential School cemeteries, including the one in Kamloops. Many under-documented cemeteries exist across Canada, including those involving Indigenous Peoples. The TRC called for a new system of cemetery identification and maintenance strategies and Indigenous groups are leading this development (Calls to Action, n. 76)
The names and information for a considerable number of these children are known, and, following the TRC Calls to Action n. 73 and n. 74, we will provide any available information. We will cooperate with the maintenance of an online registry of Residential School Cemeteries. Some of these details are included on existing monuments honouring those who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. We hope that more families will now be able to locate their loved ones and hold commemoration ceremonies that will bring deeper healing.
When more information is known about the identity of the children discovered in May 2021, Indigenous leaders will decide how they want to move forward. The Archdiocese of Vancouver stands ready to assist with their work.
More information on unmarked cemeteries can be found here and here.
Historians and medical experts have chronicled the numerous illnesses and health challenges that plagued Indigenous people during the time of the residential schools. Most known deaths occurred from causes such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, smallpox, influenza and the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19.
Proven incidents of abuse and neglect at residential schools, however, must not be minimized; their effects on the students’ overall health should be considered in each case. It is possible that some violent deaths occurred at the hands of abusers. Tragically, these children died away from their families and loved ones, some of them after experiencing harrowing abuse. Their suffering and the suffering of their families are an ongoing source of pain for countless people.
While some of the children who were known to have died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School have been memorialized, the shock of finding the remains of so many more children has rightfully caught the attention of people of good will around the world. More Canadians, including Catholics, are now reading the TRC Report to better understand the history and suffering of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Increased awareness and anger are helping drive progress towards deeper healing and reconciliation.
Archbishop Miller, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, released a statement of apology and expression of commitment on June 2, 2021.
Archbishop Miller as well as other Catholic leaders have made previous apologies regarding the Church’s role in Indian Residential Schools. A selection of these apologies can be found here.
Archbishop Miller is aware that apologies are not enough, and he has pledged new action supporting the families and communities who have been deeply impacted by the news regarding the site in Kamloops.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI met with a delegation of Indigenous leaders from Canada "and expressed sorrow and regret for the abuses suffered" in the schools. At that time Phil Fontaine, then National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, declared that the meeting with Pope Benedict “closes the circle of reconciliation." He added that "what we wanted the Pope to say to us was that he was sorry and ... that he deeply felt for us," said Fontaine, himself a victim of abuse at one of the schools. "We heard that very clearly today." More recently, Chief Fontaine stated that he made these comments before the TRC process, and he has publicly called upon Catholics, including the Pope, to follow through on commitments towards reconciliation.
In his apology dated June 2nd, Archbishop Miller pledged the following:
- We will be fully transparent with our archives and records regarding all residential schools, and strongly urge all other Catholic and government organizations to do the same. Our records regarding the Kamloops Indian Residential School (Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc) were provided to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and will remain available for review.
- We will offer mental health support and counselling for family members and others whose loved ones may be buried on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
- We will offer to assist with technological and professional support to help the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and other affected Nations in whatever way they choose to honour, retrieve and remember their deceased children.
- We commit to supporting the same process and resources to all Nations in whose territories Catholic-run residential schools were forcibly located, and which fall within the historical boundaries of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
- We will renew our efforts to listen to Indigenous Peoples to hear from you how we can best walk with you along the path of justice.
Indian Residential Schools operated by the Catholic Church received children either directly from families or from government agencies enforcing the School Act, which required all children in Canada to receive education in registered schools. Indian Officers, as they were called at the time, and other law enforcement agencies handled all aspects related to any removal of children.
This does not minimize the role of the Catholic Church in the operation of these schools nor any atrocities that occurred in them.
Upon reading the TRC Report Summary, Catholics and all Canadians can find ways to better understand the suffering of Indigenous people as well as the initiatives started to support our path towards reconciliation and healing.
Catholics and other Canadians can find ways to better understand the suffering of Indigenous Peoples and learn about initiatives that support the path towards reconciliation and healing.
As Catholics, we should be engaged in initiatives that seek to find ways to heal our relationships with Indigenous Peoples. As Canadians, we can join with everyone in our country to learn about past tragedies and work to ensure justice for the present and future.
Many initiatives have been undertaken as a direct response to the TRC, some of which are listed here.
Some suggestions include:
- Parishes with flags could fly them at half-mast for a period of nine days, representing 215 hours.
- Parishes where makeshift memorials (e.g. children’s shoes) have been established could permit these displays on church property for a period of nine days to allow for collective prayer and reflection. You may consider visiting these sites if opportune.
- As June is National Indigenous History Month, offer an additional Prayer of the Faithful for the entire month during Sunday and perhaps daily Masses.
Sample:
For the children who died in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and for all those impacted by this tragedy, that there may be healing founded on truth and that the Spirit will inspire our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. For this, we pray to the Lord.
A moment of silence may be observed at Mass this weekend to remember those who have suffered and to pray for our Indigenous brothers and sisters. This can take place after the Prayers of the Faithful or other suitable moment.
The Catholic entities that operated residential schools were part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) reached in 2006. The “compensation” part of the Agreement was covered by the federal government, while the various churches were asked to provide for “programs of healing and reconciliation.” A subsequent judicial review deemed that the Roman Catholic entities named as parties in the IRSSA had fulfilled the requirements of the Settlement Agreement. Following this review, the Canadian government released the entities from further obligations – a decision which the present government has not appealed.
The approximately 50 individual Catholic entities (dioceses and religious orders), of which the Archdiocese of Vancouver was one, contributed the following amounts:
- $29 million, comprised of $22 million in cash and $7 million already paid out in lawsuits settled prior to the signing of the Agreement;
- $25 million target for in-kind services, which was reached and exceeded;
- $3.7 million cash raised from churches in a “best efforts” fundraising campaign.
Those same Catholic entities, together with other Catholic dioceses, institutes, and national organizations, continue to be involved in efforts across the country to provide in-kind contributions beyond the scope of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver have worked with local Indigenous leaders to build bridges to a deeper understanding of history and a clearer path towards reconciliation. Following the TRC Calls to Action, Points 61.1 to 61.5, the Archdiocese of Vancouver is involved in projects honouring Indigenous art, music, and language preservation and revitalization, and looks forward to more opportunities to create understanding, empathy, and respect. The commitments we have made will also entail additional financial outlays.