Grief and sadness after discovery of mass grave in B.C. -- and a call for accountability and action
There was a collective sense of grief and sadness Monday around the Maritimes as people paid tribute to the young lives lost at a former residential school in British Columbia.
The tragic discovery of the mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children has stirred up painful memories for residential school survivors in our region.
Tiny shoes were placed on the steps of St. Mary's Basilica to honour the 215 lives cut short and draw attention to their unmarked burial site, which was discovered at a former Kamloops residential school.
"I feel for my family that went there now that have to be reawakened to the news of, what will they uncover here when they start looking?" said Thunderbird Swooping Down Woman, a Mi'kmaw elder.
That question, is one survivors of the Shubenacadie residential school in Nova Scotia have been trying to answer.
Mi'kmaw elder Dorene Bernard is part of a team doing its own investigation at the site.
"There wasn't definitive evidence of graves," said Bernard, who is also a residential school survivor.
Ground penetrating radar has been used to explore part of the site, but there is more ground to cover and survivors want to be certain.
"They really are feeling very strongly that this is investigated very thoroughly and any children buried there are commemorated," Bernard said.
As flags flew at half-mast throughout the Maritimes,
Mi'kmaw communities are expressing their collective grief over something they already have known -- for years.
"But nobody listened to indigenous people," says Cheryl Maloney, the daughter of a residential school survivor.
Maloney's mother survived Shubenacadie, but rarely talked about it.
Maloney says what happened affected generations and still does.
"The wrongs of the residential schools are still being faced in this country by our people, that racism that systemic racism," said Maloney.
It's something Indigenous rights activists, have told governments repeatedly.
"The Royal Commission on Aboriginal People did a whole chapter on residential schools in the 1990s," said L'Nu lawyer Tuma Young.
Young also says the Truth and Reconciliation report, which was released six years ago, talks about missing children and unmarked graves.
Young says it's time for all Canadians, to do more than remember.
"Rituals and ceremonies and prayers and thoughts are helpful right now," Young said. "We need to do action now, that's really what's needed."
Action many say should include holding the federal government accountable for the past and in the present.
Archbishop Brian Dunn of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth said the discovery in Kamloops is "absolutely heartbreaking."
"I am conscious that this tragedy has a significant impact on all Indigenous communities, especially those here in Nova Scotia," Dunn said in a statement.
"As Archbishop I want to offer my prayers for these children, their families, and their communities. Acknowledging and bringing to light this dark chapter of our Catholic and Canadian history is difficult but necessary in order to be the residential school experience, in which Church members participated knowingly or unknowingly."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
In his new book 'As Long as You Need', hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.