A group working to document what happened at the infamous boarding school says it risks going bankrupt by the end of this month unless Canada decides whether to fund its work.
The Survivors’ Secretariat, which is working to find out what happened at the Mohawk Institute boarding school in Brantford, Ont., also said the Ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations is delaying the processing of applications. says it’s disappointing. .
“We have to go and tell (survivors) that Canada made a promise and once again broke that promise,” said Laura Arndt, director of the agency.
“Whenever survivors ask me for answers to all these (funding) questions, all I can say is, “I don’t know,” because even when they call me, Because they won’t call you back.
Arndt said the treatment is “historically reflective of how our people are treated when doing business with Canada. We are just sidelined and ignored.”
In 2021, after a number of First Nations reported finding what appeared to be human remains on the grounds of a former residential school, Ottawa set aside funds to search the site and document what happened at the school. Funding was secured.
More than 150,000 children were forced to attend boarding schools, and many survivors gave detailed testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission about the horrific abuse they suffered. An estimated 6,000 children died while attending school, but experts say the real number may be higher.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission said these schools were “a systematic government-led attempt to destroy Aboriginal culture and language and assimilate Aboriginal people so that they no longer exist as a distinct people.” It was deemed tantamount to cultural genocide.
According to the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, Mohawk Institute opened in 1828 and nearly 50 students died during its opening.
Part of the office’s job is to investigate these deaths, conduct ground searches to locate burial sites, examine the vast amount of records related to schools, and assist survivors in their healing journeys.
But without funding from Canada, there is no clear path to continue the work, and Arndt said the organization hasn’t received any funding for months, even though it submitted its application on time. He says there is no.
“It crippled us as an organization and we were out of money as of the end of December,” Arndt said.
“We’re not getting a response from Canada.”
Gary Ananda, a spokesperson for Sangarhi Royal and Indigenous Relations Minister, did not directly address Arndt’s concerns in a statement, but noted that the deadline for funding applications is November 15, in line with previous deadlines. He said there was.
“As with any program, we must evaluate all requests based on the criteria provided to our communities and organizations. We must respond to the shameful history of boarding schools and We created this fund to support society in its healing journey,” Bahoz said. Dara Aziz.
“We are fully committed to that.”
Arndt said the organization has not yet received a response to requests for funding from October and February of last year, in addition to the application submitted by the November deadline.
Beyond how her organization will survive, her biggest question is why Canadians aren’t holding their government accountable, despite a “surge” in support for the initiative in 2021. I mean, is it?
“What’s heartbreaking is that it’s been three and a half years and we haven’t seen as much support from Canada,” she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
