Coming to terms with the history of residential schools

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In early June, in the wake of 215 unmarked graves of Indigenous children having been discovered on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential School, the NDP forced debate in the House of Commons to bring the Liberal government to action. I spoke about the cultural genocide and forced assimilation inflicted upon an entire people, and the atrocities suffered by Indigenous children forcibly ripped from their families by the government and the Catholic church.

Since that time, the number of discovered unmarked graves near former residential school sites has increased dramatically, including 160 uncovered by Penelakut Tribes right here in our riding. As Justice Murray Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), stated at the time of its report, there will likely be thousands more discovered in the future.

The Government of Canada claims no relationship is more important than that with Indigenous Peoples, but it has mainly offered platitudes and symbolism instead of real action, and it continues to spend millions of dollars fighting residential school survivors in court. Although the NDP motion in June was unanimously adopted by all those present in the House, the Prime Minister and his cabinet couldn’t be bothered to show up for the vote. They abstained by being deliberately absent – actions that speak much louder than all the lofty rhetoric we have heard thus far.

If the global pandemic we all have just endured for the past 17 months has demonstrated anything, it’s how quickly governments can act in times of crisis, both with policy changes and in delivering assistance. And if the uncovering of undocumented and unmarked graves of Indigenous children isn’t evidence of genocide – and, therefore, a crisis – I don’t know what is. Six years ago, Trudeau promised to enact all 94 of the TRC Calls to Action. Their record: just 13 have been completed.

Indigenous people keep waiting and wondering: what will be the watershed moment – that moment that finally results in systemic change and true justice on the path to reconciliation? This government has a responsibility to abandon the platitudes, symbolism, and lofty rhetoric, and finally face its ugly past with real action for survivors and their families.

Alistair MacGregor is the Member of Parliament for CowichanMalahat-Langford. He serves as the federal NDP’s Critic for Agriculture and Agri-food, Rural Economic Development, and deputy Justice.