Archbishop Urges Penance for Mistreatment of Aboriginal Children at Residential Schools

By Mark Kennedy
Ottawa Citizen
May 26, 2015

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/catholic-archbishop-repents-for-mistreatment-of-aboriginal-children-at-residential-schools

Catholic Archbishop Terrence Prendergast wants reconciliation with the victims of residential school abuses.

The Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa is calling on followers of the faith to “repent” and seek forgiveness for how the church mistreated thousands of aboriginal children in residential schools for many decades.

The message is contained in a pastoral letter written by Archbishop Terrence Prendergast and comes just days before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) releases the findings of its six-year probe into this controversial chapter of Canadian history.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has publicly released Prendergast’s letter as part of its efforts to support and pray for residential school survivors, and reconcile with them.

Meanwhile, the Anglican, United and Presbyterian churches – which were also involved in the school system – are gearing up for next week’s TRC release with plans to forge “reconciliation” activities.

In his letter, Prendergast invites Catholics “to reflect on the importance of Canada’s First Peoples and to repent with me for how the Church has at times mistreated them.”

“In particular, I ask that you act in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples over the offences of residential schools and join me in prayer for reconciliation.”

Prendergast describes the schools as a “dark period in the Church’s history.”

“The schools were part of a policy of cultural assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, and over the decades, much abuse took place at these schools. Most of these residential schools were operated by Catholic entities and we recognize a moral responsibility and obligation to repent of this wrongdoing.”

The archbishop writes that when the TRC begins four days of events in the National Capital Region this Sunday to cap off its work, church bells will ring across Canada at noon local time.

“We face the past and sincerely ask for forgiveness. Your awareness of this history, your presence at events, and your prayers will help the Church express its genuine desire to work with Aboriginal communities to build a shared future of mutual respect.”

The residential schools saga is one of Canada’s biggest untold stories. The schools were established and funded by the federal government and run by the churches.

Beginning in the 1880s, more than 150,000 aboriginal children were torn from their families and sent to about 130 residential schools that, in many cases, resembled violent prisons. Seven generations of children were scarred by physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

For most of the school year, they were not raised by their parents, which meant they never learned how to become parents themselves. The intergenerational fallout was shattering and the effects are still felt today. The last school didn’t close until 1996.

The residential school survivors sued the federal government and churches. That lawsuit led to a court settlement in 2007 that issued compensation payments for former students, and established the TRC to tell the story of the schools.

The TRC initially dissolved in a spat involving its first three commissioners, who were replaced in 2009 by Manitoba Justice Murray Sinclair (its chairman), and former journalist Marie Wilson and Alberta Chief Wilton Littlechild.

They heard from more than 7,000 witnesses and went to court to force the federal government to release archival documents on the schools.

Next Tuesday, the commissioners will release an executive summary of their findings, with recommendations. The full, six-volume report will be released later in the year.

It’s now clear that church leaders are keen to make amends for past wrongs.

The Anglican Church of Canada, headed by Archbishop Fred Hiltz, is calling on its followers to join in 22 days of “prayer and renewal” – following this Sunday’s TRC events, and leading up to the annual National Aboriginal Day on June 21.

On its website, the Anglican church says that testimony of school survivors at the TRC exposed a “horrible truth” of what happened to them.

To this day, says the church, the legacy of the schools endures through the high numbers of indigenous children in foster care, shortened life spans, and high rates of violence.

“Our church had a century-long history of working with the government to run more than 30 residential schools for indigenous children. Though individual participants may have had nobler intentions, the underlying colonial aim was to break indigenous cultures, and to assimilate the children into the bottom rungs of a hierarchical society.

“Doing that, we destroyed families and communities, and drove students and their parents, siblings, and children into dysfunction and addiction. Many were also sexually abused.”

The Anglican church says it recognized its “wrongdoing” and withdrew from running the schools in 1969.

“It took us another quarter century to apologize to former students and their families. We’ve been trying to live into that apology ever since, pushing for justice, healing and reconciliation.”

Contact: mkennedy@ottawacitizen.com