Mass Indigenous graves found at another Catholic school in Canada
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Hundreds of unmarked graves have been found near a former Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in western Canada, local media reported late on Wednesday, weeks after the discovery of the remains of hundreds of Indigenous schoolchildren sent shock waves through the country.
In a statement quoted by several Canadian media, including CBC and CTV, the Indigenous Cowessess community said on Wednesday it had made “the horrific and shocking discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves” during excavations at the former Marieval boarding school.
“The number of unmarked graves will be the most significantly substantial to date in Canada,” the statement from the Cowessess First Nation and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations (FSIN), which represents Saskatchewan’s First Nations, said.
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The past will always surface through denial and guilt ... there is no escape from what generations of my forefathers have done. Their guilt is my guilt, there is no hiding behind "I wasn't there."
The horror of this cannot be overlooked or pushed aside. The Canadian government and the Catholic Church are covered in our blood. The Pope should be facing what the fricking Church has done yet he has not apologized for the last mass grave found in BC.
Cowards all.
We now know that many more will be unearthed and the apologies will ring hollow ... I have no idea what to say to my friends in Kahnawake when I visit them next.
I can't tell you what to say. But if I was in your place, I'd start with 'I'm angry' and proceed to 'I'm broken' and then 'I'm undone.'
'The horror of this cannot be overlooked or pushed aside.'
And yet it will be.
The First Nations had to be eradicated along with any memory of their social organization. If that social vision thrived, Capitalism – with its endlessly voracious appetite for exploitable material and human resources – could never emerge. We know how that went.
So-called political ‘leaders’ serving today’s ruling class are the totally unworthy inheritors of the ill-gotten wealth based on the complete dispossession and decimation of the First Nations. To this day, the ruling class – with its bought-and-paid-for-politicians – remains completely committed to the avaricious consumption of material and human resources as the basis of their social station and opulent lifestyles. They are in complete solidarity with their ruling class predecessors. The consequences are everywhere – environmental desolation, grinding poverty, for-profit wars, political impotence and on and on and on.
The so-called political ‘leaders’ serving today’s ruling class are the totally unworthy inheritors of ill-gotten wealth based on the complete dispossession and decimation of First Nations. The consequences are everywhere manifested – resource leeched regions, grinding poverty, environmental desolation, for-profit wars, and on and on and on.
For that, today’s ruling class [with its bought-and-paid-for-politicians] remains as completely devoted to the avaricious consumption of material and human resources as was Sir. John Alexander McD. Now as then, the capitalist social order which, with destructive intent was opposed to First Nations social order, is the basis of their social station and wealth.
Crocodile tears will be shed. Political fingers will be pointed to the iceberg’s tip. They’ll cry, ‘racism’ [which is not untrue] and ‘injustice’ [which is equally correct]; but not a word will be said of the exploiting and leeching of material and human resources – the system of social organization which we call ‘Kapital.’ The ruling class can manage calls for racial justice. People will protest. Some skulls may get cracked. Soon, the steam will dissipate. That’s the hope. But that shouldn't be allowed to work this time.
We need to get our eyes off the iceberg tip and see the economic system driving this as the beast which it is. First Nations were not only first – they were very largely right. The real shame here would be if for six hundred years and routine savagery along the way, we learned … in fact … nothing. So yes. Racism and injustice are real.
But we're way past the race/injustice game.
We have to look at the social system which everywhere and in every generation demands the sacrifice of SOME body, of SOME society in order to serve the profligate appetites of the worst and lowest social layer in society.
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A high possibility that it will be, sadly.
I wish this story would get more national coverage in US media.
Sorry John - we're the "Invisible Ones" - it'll never happen.
Oops.
So do I. If they found this in Canada, then I am fairly certain it will head South as the US had the same sort of schools for Native Americans. How many unknown victims are waiting to be discovered at those school sites? The potential answer scares and sickens m soul at the same time.
Morning John. It is getting plenty of coverage around the world. Especially in the Commonwealth countries. It was headlines here even bumped the virus off for once...
will be waiting to see what the actual number of gravesites there are , as well as the timeframes they were placed , with an almost 100 year history , the school may or may not have been hit with any number of things , so we would be prudent to wait and see the actual timeline of the deaths and their causes . Have to see what the forensics say .
Now personally i think the government and church actions of the past are extremely abhorrent , and by todays standards totally unacceptable and should be both investigated and answered for no matter where it happens.
I can understand waiting to discover why this happened and if some natural (disease) caused this, but why are the graves unmarked. It is like they were trying to hide something.
The whole practice was atrocious and you are correct the government and the Church should be held accountable.
If i had the answer to that without evidence , i would go buy a lottery ticket.... for an off the cuff answer which usually is wrong , its based on how indigenous were treated during specific time periods in history by governments in place at the times . history has shown that notification of next of kin of a death was spotty at best if it happened at all in places like this.
as said there could be any number of reasons over an almost 100 year school history , disease , accidents , calamities such as fire or some other disaster , or a combination of all the above happening over time .
You are most likely correct, but it does not excuse the taking of children from parents & thrusting them into an indoctrination camp and then burying them in such a way. Just my opinion.
Many of the children were brought to the schools from various Tribes who had never been exposed to the kinds of disease their "guardians" /s had been, so they did not have any kind of immunity against them. As children died from these diseases they were simply dumped in unmarked graves to hide their deaths so no one had to account for their disappearance. Not that anyone really cared about their disappearance, but, they made sure they were hidden.
Until now. And unfortunately, on both sides of the US and Canadian border, this is just the beginning.
True Mark, but over the 100 year history, 75 deaths a year is a HUGE amount - 'specially of adolescents.
And where were the "God loving" Christian leaders during these massacres of minor children????
And, to me, they can't be called anything but - massacres of minor children.
Yeah - that's what the "civilized" Euro's brought over with them - love and joy at killing all Indigenous people.
no arguments from me , its just like what kav told me the reports said about abuse, suicides , malnutrition, illness and calamities .
for me the lesson to be learned like i said is to be aware it happened and not to let it happen again , but its still happening today anyway when ever child protective services removes a child for whatever reason ,are we really any more watchful now than back when these things happened? or are we just dancing the same dance with different dancers?
Don't ever read anything 'bout the ICWA - you'll see so many instances where this is happening over and over and over again.
remember i live on the rez 1st, i have heard first hand from those my age that lost family in such things , about 2 years ago the tribe finally got a members remains repatriated after something like 70 years , there was nothing i could say that wouldnt have caused more grief at the time , but since then , in talking ( first step ) we all agree we all need to be watchful and question those in power and hold them accountable , now , not at some future date when they are gone. but i am only one person , talking to another.
Are you Native American ? Or lease property from NA's on the rez ?
Just curious how that works.
I call myself an Elizabeth Warren NA, geneology says there is not enough to actually claim any tribal rights , funny thing is , my paternal grandfathers mothers maiden last name is Warren from the same area of Mass ( yes im not just an asshole , im a born and bred MASShole when needed, I just grew bigger ). No comment .
as for the land , it depends on the reservation ,here , some of the land within the reservation was sold off and deeded, my deed is over 100 years old , which makes it available for sale to anyone that wishes to buy it , which is what i did . but since then , tribal land can no longer be sold so there is a limited amount , usually held now by farmers that can be gotten.
There are other ways as well as through marriage and death of a spouse if one is NA , see that a lot really .
pat, Mark some reservations, a few are what is called a ''closed rez'' these tribes/nations never agreed to the allotment act that the government conned most tribes with. This is how you were able to buy land on a rez, Mark. My tribe, the Red Lake Ojibwe are fairly unique, we are closed rez and never agreed to the allotment act of the government. All land on our rez is held in common it's owned by the tribe not individuals no one can buy or sell land on our rez. There are other ways this makes us unique but that is for a later comment.
Thank you.
I will admit , it can be confusing at times as to what i can and can not do , i remember talking to you right after i bought the place about it as well .
wind river is it seems to me to be unique in and of itself , it is a shoshone rez or was set up as such , and later shared with the arapaho, it is surrounded by a mix of BLM , reclamation land both within and outside its borders , private and public lands .
Some of the thing i cannot do is hunt or fish unless i am on reclamation or public lands , I pretty much treat it all as it is private land that one must get permission from the owners , to do such things
all in all i think i made a correct choice being here , i wanted a place that was quiet , a place to be able to think and sort things out that were going on back when i did purchase ( dad passing , divorce after 30 years , kids being gone) , all major life events and changes that all seemed to hit at once and admittedly were almost too much . I wanted a place that if change was going to happen , it would be on my terms and at my pace , that was acceptable to me .
there is always a cool breeze , , shade and things to do , i even named the little 2 acre plot , the whispering winds , it seems when i am in contemplation i hear the voices of those that are gone and dear to me on that breeze, speaking to me and helping me come to what usually is the right way .
I can say more , but its off topic so i will let it drop .
No, please continue I believe that the seeder of the article, Hallux would want to hear more as well.
i can only speak to the issue as it relates to the experiences i have had in my own life, of course i can make a superficial judgement and i have , that what happened and was done was wrong . that takes no thought and is simply knowing right from wrong and individual character .
Maybe i am thinking too deeply when i try to understand what happened , not from the government or the churches point of view , but from the kids point of view .
I know how i would feel if i were suddenly ripped from this place , a place i have more connection to than i had to where my parents raised me or the place i raised my kids , a place i have created a sanctuary , citidel , stronghold an anchor to family and friends that in times of distress can come to and be safe and if they wish to talk without judgement .
I only have 2 rules here at the winds for those that come out ,
1. if they bring the family , they hang their issues or troubles on the 2 railroad ties i have driven into the ground at the end of the driveway , its a place to enjoy life and family and friends .
2. If one comes out with a trouble or issue , they have to be the one that wishes to discuss it and i will not give them an answer , but ask questions so they come to their own answers that are correct for them in their own minds , or i can think of a place they can look for the answers .
most of my friends tend to be veterans and younger , and have had issues come up where they were at a loss and frustrated , i listen and ask questions and sometimes provide ideas for resources they can use that could possibly be of help, all i can hope is im doing the right things with my stewardship of what i have .
i have purposely set up a decompression area even though i am still a work in progress myself .
What does it take for a person to change? 2 things , time , and a willingness to change .
i am allowing myself and others both.
You could read the '' the truth and reconciliation commission'' report of 2015. The last deaths were recorded in 1970s.
Wait for what, the deaths will be the same as the original commission findings of over 4,000 dead Indian children and they said at that time there will be more.
Good morning my friend , dont get me wrong , instances of the past are in deed outrageous, should never have happened in the first place in such a case , the thing i am seeing is there is both a lesson to be learned here from past actions of those that were in power at the time , and a base for what today should be considered correct and acceptable when dealing with other human beings .
instead of simple knee jerk reactions on my part , i would rather have ALL the facts before a reaction is taken so that the actions can be actually focused on those responsible , if that is actually possible .
simply put , we could do as the church once did and dig up a dead pope , charge him with crimes and convict a corpse, but that to me seems rather unintelligent and backward . it doesnt fix anything and doesnt punish the guilty.
All i can do , myself , is resolve , for myself that what i have learned was done is not an acceptable thing to have happen and to always question , and fight if nessisary to make sure such things do not happen in the future .
There are numerous reports that outline the whole tragic scenario from start to finish. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports is very extensive. The Canadian government admitted to it. There is no waiting for results the results are in and have been in. Everyone is well aware of who is responsible.
This makes me cry. All that horror and no one stepping up and taking responsibility & stating outright that they participated in a horror and that there are more.
I'm sad to say that more are bound to be found. Fuck the Pope - he's hiding in the Vatican. If Pope John 23rd were still around I'd bet he would have done and said the right thing. The present Pope is just covering his ass because he's probably trying to protect the Church's treasure from lawsuits.
Kindertotenlieder - Songs for Dead Children
Shingoose, Mother Earth Song.
It saddens me to be reminded of our losing him.
It does me as well, Buzz. The song is fitting as Mother Earth has held the children and now that they have been discovered they can start their journey to be with their ancestors.
Evening Kavika..so sorry.🥀🥀🥀
I wonder how many more mass graves there are out there?
In 2 Provinces so far, 8 more to go with 2 of them having 10 times the population of the rest. So to answer your question, many!
Update:
"Chief Cadmus Delorme of the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan said they had found at least 600 graves after radar detected 751 “hits” in a field on the school grounds."
The horror continues and probably will continue until each and every location is checked, by Natives no one else.
751 unmarked graves is ‘a wake up call’
I would not believe anyone else at this point.
My tears will not be stopped. All those beautiful little souls who had to walk on simply because of who they were. The Creator will never forget them, nor those who caused their deaths, nor the cowards who buried them in unmarked graves so as to hide their deaths at their hands. They may think they got away with their evil deeds without being punished by Man's court of law, as Man's law did not consider those children real humans anyway. But, they will find that the Creator's court is unforgiving, and their punishment is far worse than any prison.
And those who were/are involved in such carnage should be brought into the spotlight and made to account for what has happened to so many innocent children. And those who are yet to be found.
All their deaths were simply because they were Native Americans and their deaths were considered rightful extermination.
And their deaths will no longer go unpunished, nor be ignored.
Evening Raven...My heart breaks for you all of the Native American Nation. I was truly shocked at the number of lost souls now found. I thought I had miss read the news item.
Words are empty and hollow, nothing will take away the pain and sorrow that has now finally been unearthed.
Canada's name has now been for ever muddied along with many other countries where White man in the name of so called religion, has put their stinking hands...and the stench can be smelt around the world.
I have no idea of your customs for the lost souls that roam this earth and I would never dream of encroaching on them...
All I can think of as a show of solidarity to you, Kavika and 1st warrior is tomorrow night I will put a candle in the window.
A small bright light, to hopefully guide the lost souls home to their ancestors...and finally the peace they so richly deserve...
Chi miigwech, Shona. (many thanks)
Morning...how many of these "schools" are there???.
In the US there were 352 and in Canada 150.
352? What the hell??!!!!
Doing the math on 502 schools will bring you to the doorstep of Hell and into it.
Bloody hell...I feel sick...I hope they search each and everyone of these hell holes and unearth what has gone on in Canada and America.
I had no idea this happened and to this extent is staggering...
That includes both off reservation boarding schools and on reservation schools, both were horrific.
Indian parents didn't have a choice it was a law in the US that all Indian children had to attend these schools. It wasn't until 1978 that this law was overturned.
They are only scraping the surface and now the true horror of these schools is coming to light in Canada and hopefully with Secretary Haaland (NA) opening an investigation into the US ''schools'' more and more will come to light. It is something that we NA have been telling the world for decades, no one would listen.
My heart weeps.
Morning...not sure if you have seen it but if you get the chance watch...The rabbit proof fence. A true story and how we treated the stolen generations. Three little Koori kids, hundreds of kms from home and they escaped off a mission...
I have seen it, shona. It was very difficult for me to watch.
Morning... All I could do was shake my head and hang it in shame.
What one race will do to another is unbelievable..and much of it in the name of so called God...
Just the tip of the iceberg.
And they're finding out that this is a very big iceberg.
Indeed. I doubt the true number will ever be known, but what is undeniable is the treatment of the natives in north and South America is one of the more shameful parts of human history.
Yet the "churches" and "governments" condoned and encouraged it.
Where is their come uppence?
Evening 1st...so sorry..🥀🥀🥀
A lot of people dont know that on the churches part it was done for centuries under a papal bull out of the vatican , dont know if it was ever recinded , but it pretty much became unenforced after the reformation and governments got away from the church as policy makers .
The bull stated that it was illegal for a baptised baby to be raised by a non christian( had to be baptised to be a christian) , parents would lose their kids to the church because someone had them baptised unknowingly to the parents and they were of a different belief.
Now little ones Mother Earth will release you and can travel to meet your ancestors in peace.