Letter to the Editor: Letter to the Pope from the Elders’ Council
Dear His Holiness Pope Francis:
We are an Elders’ Council (“Council”), comprised of 11 Indigenous Elders who represent First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities residing across Ontario, Canada. Our Council provides guidance and support to the work of the Indigenous Justice Division (“IJD”) at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, as well as to the Ministry more broadly, and the Attorney General himself. Members of our Council include Survivors of Indian Residential Schools and Indian Day Schools.
We are writing to you in light of the remains of Indigenous children and adults that were recently recovered at various former Indian Residential Schools sites across Canada. The grief and trauma that this has caused is overwhelming. Indigenous communities across the country are mourning the loss of our children.
Within a span of only a few weeks, there were 215 unmarked graves recovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, 104 unmarked graves that were recovered at the former Brandon Indian Residential School in Manitoba, 751 unmarked graves that were recovered discovered at the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, 182 unmarked graves that were recovered at the former St. Eugene’s Mission School in British Columbia, and the 160 unmarked graves that were recovered at the former Kuper Island Industrial School in British Columbia.
There are currently more investigations underway across Canada, and we expect that the number of remains of Indigenous children found will only continue to rise.
The Council recognizes that Survivors have been saying for decades that there are many unmarked and mass grave sites near the locations of former Indian Residential Schools. Survivors, inter-generational Survivors, and the families of Survivors know where children are located. We need to listen to them and hear their stories.
The Council urges all Roman Catholic entities that are controlled by the Vatican to produce and release the records pertaining to all Indian Residential Schools. The Council also urges the Catholic Church to honour their obligations under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. The Catholic Church was included in the
Settlement Agreement because Indigenous people were victimized by Catholic priests, nuns, and other Church officials.
Elder Jan Longboat reminds us that, “the Churches have caused us pain of intolerable injustice and harm.” The Catholic Church must recognize the harm and intergenerational trauma that this has caused to Survivors and their families. The Churches participated in the genocide of Indigenous Peoples, including, our way of life, our spirituality, and our world views.
There were many atrocities inflicted during Residential Schools. This includes the creation of the electric chair at the Catholic Church run St. Anne’s Indian Residential School in Fort Albany, Ontario. Many Survivors have testified about their experiences being subjected to and shocked in a homemade electric chair.
In many of the Residential Schools children were locked in solitary confinement in dark spaces for days at a time. The children were forced to crawl on their hands and knees because the spaces were so small. Children were put in solitary confinement as a form of punishment.
In light of this devastating news, we are urging you to publicly acknowledge the atrocities that occurred in Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools, in Indigenous communities, and on the Church properties at the hands of your institution.
In order to do so respectfully and meaningfully, our Council calls upon you to offer a public apology and accountability to all Indigenous Peoples upon whom your institution has inflicted harm, consistent with Call to Action #58 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools.
It is imperative that you acknowledge the harm that your institution has caused, so that the Survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and their families and communities, can move forward with their healing. It is only through acknowledgement of the truth that we can move toward reconciliation.
We urge you take action and apologize to Survivors.
Sincerely,
The Elders’ Council
Elder Barney Batise
Elder Katsi Cook
Elder Helen Cromarty
Elder Donna Debassige
Elder Waasaanese (Alex Jacobs)
Elder Janice Longboat
Elder Dr. Marlene Pierre
Senator Verna Porter-Burnelle
Elder Pauline Shirt
Elder Gilbert Smith
Elder Sytukie Joamie