Residential School Survivors

History of Abuse in Church-Run Residential Schools in Canada

HISTORY OF ABUSE IN CHURCH-RUN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA

(Updated July 4, 2021)

Concerned Lay Catholics acknowledges that abuse was a chronic practice in church-run, government-funded residential schools in Canada. From the 1870’s to the 1990’s, children of Indigenous families, when they reached school age, were systematically and ruthlessly ripped away from their parents by agents of the Government of Canada, often RCMP, and placed in church-run residential schools. Of the estimated 150,000 Indigenous children who were forced to attend the 140 residential schools during their 120-year history, it is estimated at least 6,000 died there.  73 residential schools were under the control of entities of the Roman Catholic church. The last residential school in Canada was closed in 1996. The physical and sexual abuse and cultural extermination tactics that were used there resulted in intergenerational trauma and epigenetics (i.e. changing the way genes are expressed) among many of today's Indigenous people. 

In relation to sexual abuse at the residential schools, some of the survivors' stories recorded in the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are revealing. While some sexual abusers carefully recruited their victims, providing them with treats and small favours, others made use of threats and physical force. https://web-trc.ca/

Truth and Reconciliation Commission 

To address these injustices the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established in 2008 under the terms of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The Commission was mandated to reveal to Canadians the complex truth about the history and the ongoing legacy of the church-run residential schools, in a manner that fully documents the individual and collective harms perpetrated against Aboriginal peoples, and honours the resilience and courage of former students, their families, and communities; and to guide and inspire a process of truth and healing, leading toward reconciliation within Aboriginal families, and between Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal communities, churches, governments, and Canadians generally. The process was to work to renew relationships on a basis of inclusion, mutual understanding, and respect. ( Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), (2015). Retrieved from https://web-trc.ca/) The Truth and Reconciliation Commission produced a report containing 94 recommendations. Specific recommended actions for churches to undertake were included in the Report. They are: 

58. We call upon 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. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.

 59. We call upon church parties to the Settlement Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about their church’s role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities were necessary. 

60. We call upon leaders of the church parties to the Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other religious training centres, to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.

United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its 94 Calls to Action in June of 2015, only one Call had a specific deadline.  Call to Action 48 set the particular date of March 31, 2016 for church, faith and inter-faith groups to issue a statement as to their implementation of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Although, UNDRIP is currently not legislated, Bill C-15 which lays the framework for implementing UNDRIP was passed by the Senate in June 2021 and is now on its way to becoming law.   Through the action of KAIROS Canada, member churches and ecumenical organizations called on people across Canada to launch letter campaigns most recently through the Faith in the Declaration Coalition. Bill C-15 marks an important moment which will be remembered as a good day in the struggle to uphold and recognize Indigenous Rights in Canada.  

https://www.kairoscanada.org/bill-c-15-on-its-way-to-becoming-law

Below is a link to the statements made by the Catholic Church. 

https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/resources/doctrine-of-discovery-and-terra-nullius/

Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement

With regard to settlements made to Indigenous communities, the Roman Catholic Church in Canada was required, along with other Christian churches and governments to contribute its share of the reparations, set at $25 million under the settlement agreement.  It is noted that the other Christian churches met their obligations and governments are continuing to do so.  It is also important to note that the process of applying for individual reparations has been retraumatizing for some survivors.

Although some Catholic Dioceses did contribute, after seven years, the Church had only raised $3.7 million and through litigation it was stated by lawyers for the Catholic Church that “best efforts” had been made to collect the funds from parishioners; the judge agreed, thereby absolving the Church of further fundraising to meet their financial obligation. 

The alarming discovery of hundreds of children’s unmarked graves in 2021 on several Indian residential school sites (2021), has reignited the controversy over the Catholic church’s handling of its obligations under the IRSSA, and there is mounting pressure for the Canadian Catholic Church to honour its obligation and remit the full $25 million. Many Indigenous, non-Indigenous peoples and Catholics in Canada are pressing the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops to commit to meeting this obligation as quickly as possible to avoid further scandal and to atone for its role in the tragedy of Indian Residential Schools. 

Below are some reports on the details of the Settlement Agreement.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/critics-blast-catholic-church-1.6086030

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/catholics-sunday-mass-boycott-saskatchewan-1.6088507

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-archbishop-fuels-more-anger-by-saying-the-church-is-being-persecuted/

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100015576/1571581687074

https://www.catholicregister.org/item/22201-church-did-not-weasel-out-of-residential-school-settlement 

https://www.anglican.ca/news/anglican-entities-financial-obligations-under-the-residential-school-settlement-agreement/30015677/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/residential-school-survivors-settlement-report-1.5470001



Resources

CLC Statement on the Upcoming Visit of Pope Francis to Canada to issue apology to Indigenous Peoples and pray for healing and reconciliation

CLC invites Catholics across Canada to pray for the success of the Papal Visit. A special prayer service has been prepared by Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle of the CCCB to help us do this.

Statement from Concerned Lay Catholics Regarding of the Discovery of the Remains of 215 children on the grounds of former Kamloops Residential School.

These two documents come from Rosella Kinoshameg who lives in Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. These are beautiful teachings for all of us. One of the items shown to Pope Francis during his meeting with indigenous representatives in 2022 was a Cradle Board.

Description of a Cradle Board by Frances Dunsmore

Smudging Ceremony

Bibliography - Residential Schools and Church Treatment of Indigenous Peoples

Bibliography - Victims/Survivors