Hidden From History-Recent Government “Compensation” Plan to Residential School Survivors_
(
http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/Gary-M ... ntice.html)
Important News Update: This Week the Lid Came off the Residential School Coverup in Canada
Sunday, April 15, 2007: Third Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Protests spread to seven Canadian cities, calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 50,000 native residential school children,and for a repatriation of their remains by their murderers, the Catholic, Anglican and United Church of Canada.
Monday, April 16: Saskatchewan Member of Parliament Gary Merasty writes to federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and asks for the repatriation of the remains of children who died in Indian residential schools (see complete text of the letter below)*
Thursday, April 19: MP Merasty attempts to raise the issue of the missing
residential school children during question period in the House of Commons, but is unable to raise the matter.
Friday, April 20: Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said today that he
has asked his department to look into the issue of disappeared native children. He has asked his department to find out how many children died. "A working group has been created to begin the process of uncovering the issue" according to a Parliamentary reporter.
Today, for the first time in history, the Canadian government has been
publicly forced to acknowledge the deaths of children in Indian residential
schools. This is a great breakthrough, and a vindication of the years of effort by our Truth Commission into Genocide in Canada to bring action on this genocide.
Regardless of the outcome, we must maintain pressure on the government and the churches for a full disclosure of the crimes that caused these deaths, and for a repatriation of the remains of the children who died in Indian residential schools and hospitals across Canada.
Take up this call in your community, hold rallies demanding this action, and write to the media and to the government to let them know that a new season of civil disobedience is waiting to break forth if real justice is not done for residential school survivors and thousands of their murdered friends!
Thanks to all of you out there who helped to make this happen! Let's carry it on!
Kevin Annett / Eagle Strong Voice
Secretary, The Truth Commission into Genocide in Canada
260 Kennedy St.
Nanaimo, BC V9R 2H8
250-753-3345
_www.hiddenfromhistory.org_ (
http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/)
MP Gary Merasty's letter to Jim Prentice:
Honourable Jim Prentice
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Confederation – Room 407C
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
April 16, 2007
Dear Minister Prentice:
Over the years many in the First Nation’s community have grieved for the
thousands of children that died at the residential schools. Family members have requested the government and the churches to repatriate these children’s remains back to their communities and families. Much pain and suffering was endured at these schools and this process would help in the healing process. I understand that the “Truth and Reconciliation” commission may possibly look into this request from the families.
I understand there will be difficulties in this endeavor as many of the
records may have been lost or destroyed. Unfortunately, as stated in the Ottawa Sun “if the residential schools system was to assimilate people not valued in society, then the records around them were not valued”. (Jorge Barrera, Saturday, April 12th, 2007).
I strongly believe that if the federal government were to make a serious
effort to attempt to repatriate these remains, the First Nations communities would be very grateful. They realize the inherent difficulties in this process and the goodwill gesture of the government to address this issue would be significant in facilitating the healing process.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me at anytime.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Merasty, M.P.
For more information on this issue, please visit
www.hiddenfromhistory.org(
http://www.statcounter.com/)
