Tens of thousands First Nation children died in residential schools
By Dene Moore
The death records of tens of thousands of First Nations children who died during the time residential schools were operating in Canada have been handed over to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Several provincial governments gave up the records to the commission, which will now cross-reference the information with student lists to determine who among the children died while in the care of the church-run schools and where they might be buried.
“We hear from the survivors about having lost loved ones in the schools and not knowing what their fate was, what happened to them, whether they died and, if they died, where they’re buried,” said Kimberley Murray, executive director of the commission. “It’s an important truth they need to have before they can move forward to reconciliation.” [read more]
Uploaded on May 2, 2009 – “Broadcast Date: March 13, 1955 Orphans, convalescents and those who live too deep in the bush for day school: these are the students of the residential school in remote Moose Factory, Ont. For ten months a year, these native children — some taken from their homes — start each day with a religious service before heading to classes. A CBC Television crew visits the school to salute Education Week — and here, the education is all about how to integrate into mainstream Canadian society.”
–
Comments
Thanks so much for bringing this social injustice to our attention. Our world is in need of so much healing.