Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Tk’emlúps calls for concrete action to follow apology made by Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Sep 30, 2021 | 11:33 AM

TK’EMLUPS te SECWEPEMC — On the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Tk̓ emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) is calling for action to follow a recent apology made by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

TteS Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir addressed media from the Tk’emlups powwow arbour this morning (Sept. 30) to call for accountability for commitments made in the past by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).

Recently, the CCCB issued a public apology to Indigenous peoples across Canada for the suffering endured throughout the residential school system.

“In reviewing this apology, I had a disturbing sense of déjà vu,” states Casimir, “Had we not seen this sort of statement before as there was a sense of familiarity to it. The acknowledgments contained in the apology regarding the suffering and grave abuses caused by “some” members of the Roman Catholic community and the legacy of suffering and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples to the present day are essentially a repeat of the apologies made to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).”

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Casimir, joined by Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, and the band’s legal counsel, Don Worme, went on to note that the apology “contains no acts of contrition or living up to the promises made by the CCCB with regards to the disclosure of documents and information to the TRC, and of the raising of funds for Indian Residential School survivors.”

With that, Tk’emlups is urging concrete action and accountability from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“If this apology is truly a commitment, then Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc insists on the complete and full production of all relevant records and documents in a manner and form useful and accessible to Indian Residential School Survivors to help identify those missing children, those unmarked graves and repatriating those lost,” stated Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir.

TteS also called upon the CCCB to work towards implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #58. This section of the TRC report calls for the ‘Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools.’

Alongside this, Casimir says the band wants the CCCB to work with TteS to assist in the implementation of the TRC Calls to Action numbers 71 through 76 – which deal with missing children and burial information.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not in attendance at Tk’emlúps today, though Casimir says herself and council had sent a written invitation to the PM.

“I understand the federal election had occurred. I did hold out hope that he would be here today,” says Casimir, “But I do know that moving forward it’s really important that he uphold those 10 principles. The guiding principles of working with us as First Nations, and those underlying principles of true collaboration in that positive path forward.”

When asked about progress made since the May 27 announcement of more than 200 burial sites detected, Casimir says they have done more ground penetrating radar work, and further details will be released when the remainder of the 160-acre area is searched.