Posted on: July 26, 2022
July 25th, during his first full-day in Canada, Pope Francis visited the Montana Cree First Nation in Alberta, where thousands of residential school survivors and their families gathered to witness and hear a long-awaited formal apology for the Catholic Church's role in the cultural genocide caused by Canada's residential school system.
Residential schools in Canada were government-funded and administered and run by local churches, the majority of which were Catholic. Sisters of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a French religious order, played a large role in running the schools in Canada. The Pope will continue his visit with stops in Edmonton and the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site, Quebec City, and finally to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, before returning to Rome.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, released in 2015, requested an apology from the Pope for the abuses experienced by Indigenous peoples. In addition to the apology, Indigenous leaders asked for the release of all records that relate to the residential schools and for the return of any Canadian Indigenous items that the Vatican may possess in its archives. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate has agreed to grant the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation full access to records in the Vatican, and to-date have provided more than 40,000 records from four archives in Canada.
Island Health stands together with local First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and people during this time of reconciliation, emotional healing and cultural ceremony. Many First Nations, Métis and Inuit staff, medical staff, patients, residents and their families will be impacted by this week's events.
"Today I am thinking about my late Father, Chief Robert Thomas (Hayipus). He was a residential school survivor who attended the Port Alberni Residential School on Vancouver Island," says Dawn Thomas Aa ap waa iik, VP Indigenous Health and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. "I believe he would have watched today with a heavy heart, yet acknowledge the apology as a step towards truth and reconciliation."
“As I reflect on the importance of this moment to the many who have waited to hear an apology from the Pope, I think of my late grandparents, John and Isabelle Miller who attended St Mary's Indian Residential School in Mission, BC," says Penny Cooper, Director of SI Indigenous Health. “The Residential school caused immeasurable harm and I believe they would feel satisfied the Catholic Church is taking responsibility and would see this as an initial step to support healing."
“Today, I reflect on my great grandparents, grandparents, late father who attended day school, and my mother who spent 9 years at St. Mikes in Alert Bay and Port Alberni Residential School," shares Mary Knox, Director of CI/NI Indigenous Health. “It saddens me knowing what I know. How do we, as a nation, really move forward in a healing way without losing ourselves? Today, I walk softly and will speak softly and will continue to do so. Gilakas'la Ga'axstal'as."
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