A boarding school survivors’ group on the brink of closure due to lack of funding is accusing the federal government of breaking promises and lying to survivors about Canada’s commitment to uncovering the truth.
The Office of Survivors, which is investigating missing children and unmarked burials linked to the former Mohawk Institute First Nation Residential School in Brantford, Ont., must close at the end of the month unless funding is received. He said it would not be possible. A decision based on the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples.
The nonprofit has not received a cent so far this year and has halted work on two major projects just to maintain its core business, said Laura Arndt, executive director. . She said the office’s funding is expected to run out soon.
“This is contrary to reconciliation, it is contrary to calls to action, but most importantly it is a lie to survivors who were promised better than this,” Arndt said.
“They spent their lives fighting to find out the truth, and here we stand, not knowing if the organization will continue beyond December 31st.”
Arndt has a history with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who have vowed to stand by survivors as they seek to uncover the truth about what happened in Canada’s boarding school system. quoted the promise of
This comes after more than 200 possible unmarked burials were discovered at the former Kamloops First Nation Residential School in British Columbia in 2021. ottawa setup community support fund The following year, with a “solemn determination to find the children.”
“They were lying” about those promises, Arndt said, quoting Mohawk Institute survivor Roberta Hill.
Not only did Canada seek to reduce and cap the cash available from the Regional Support Fund; Just walk backAnandasangari’s department blocked the community from using funds for invasive archaeological research, Arndt said.
Meanwhile, the national advisory committee working on access to records resigned en masse, citing lack of funding. These actions send a message to survivors that Canada is not as committed as it says it is, Arndt said.
“Whether Canada is doing this intentionally or not, it fuels a denialist framework and prevents those of us who engage in this activity from knowing the facts,” she said.
canada responds
A spokeswoman for Anandasangari said she was unavailable for an interview this week. In his statement, Bahoz Dara Aziz did not address the secretariat’s concerns or explain why funding was not provided this year.
“The deadline for applications was November 15th. This is the date that is always communicated and is consistent with previous year’s schedule. As with any program, everything is based on the criteria provided to the community and organization. “We need to evaluate the application,” she said. he wrote in a statement.
“We established this fund to support the community’s healing journey against the shameful history of boarding schools, and we are fully committed to that.”
Mohawk Academy, known as the “mashhole” where children were fed tasteless porridge, is Canada’s longest-running boarding school. From 1828 to 1970, it was run first by the Church of England and then by the federal government.
The National Truth and Reconciliation Center has recorded 48 deaths linked to the institute, but the office’s research has more than doubled that number, bringing the number of known deaths to 101. There is.
Kimberly Murray, Special Interlocutor on Residential School-Related Missing Children and Unmarked Burials, repeatedly criticized Crown Indigenous Relations for treating these searches like any other program. I’ve been doing it.
Mr Murray, whose two-year term ends this month, recently argued that children who died and were buried at boarding schools are not just missing, but victims of a crime against humanity – enforced disappearance. The final report was published.
She argued that Canada has an obligation under international law to promote access to the truth, meaning it must ensure adequate funding. The federal government has not yet commented on her report.
The government estimates that 150,000 indigenous children attended residential schools. This boarding school is a church-run, state-funded, assimilation system that has operated nationwide for more than a century.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that this system is a central element of Canada’s policy of cultural genocide.
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide assistance to survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour service at 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counseling and crisis support is also available 24/7 through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat.
