(Ottawa, ON) March 4, 2022 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation is anguished and horrified at the news that another 169 unmarked graves were detected by Kapawe’no First Nation at the grounds of the St. Bernard Mission School in Grouard Mission. Based on the evidence, which was discovered using ground-penetrating radar and drones, it is probable that these graves belong to some of the many Indigenous children that attended the school from 1894 until 1961. This painful discovery adds to the growing number of unmarked graves of children that have been found in Canada so far. The lives of these 169 Indigenous children, and those of many others discovered across Canada, deserve not just honour, but justice on behalf of what they went through and their lost opportunity for a full life. These tragedies further prove the critical need for a large-scale investigation to uncover the countless graves of Indigenous children that still remain undiscovered and deliver resolution for their loved ones.

Pendant plus de 160 ans, plus de 150 000 enfants autochtones ont été arrachés à leur famille et à leur communauté et contraints de fréquenter des pensionnats. Ces écoles, créées par le gouvernement canadien et gérées par diverses églises, avaient pour but de détruire l'identité autochtone par le biais de politiques cruelles qui, notamment, punissaient les enfants qui pratiquaient leur culture et parlaient leur langue. Au sein des écoles, ces politiques d'assimilation forcée étaient combinées à d'horribles abus physiques, sexuels et émotionnels, ainsi qu'à de la négligence. Cela a entraîné la mort d'un nombre incalculable d'enfants, ainsi qu'une profonde blessure chez les peuples autochtones qui dure depuis des générations.

“This discovery, while absolutely tragic and needless, will hopefully be yet another push the Government of Canada needs in order to truly commit to sustained work with Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors, and the LHF to raise more understanding among all Canadians about the impacts that Residential Schools have had upon Indigenous Peoples. Based on what the LHF has heard from Survivors and other research that has been conducted, there are almost certainly more unmarked graves that are waiting to be found across Canada. With this in mind, it is absolutely essential that the Canadian Government pledges to do more to provide justice, combat racism, and support healing efforts among Survivors, their loved ones, and community members,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel of the LHF.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 21 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Sixties Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage people to address discrimination and injustice in order to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation.

La FAE travaille à la mise en ligne de ses autres expositions. La Fondation possède également des programmes d'enseignement de la maternelle à la 12e année et pour les adultes, ainsi que des guides d'activités visant à sensibiliser les Canadiens à l'histoire autochtone et à l'histoire commune des pensionnats et des externats, de la Rafle des années 60, des femmes et des filles autochtones disparues ou assassinées et autres actes coloniaux d’oppression. Pour faire un don la FAE, veuillez consulter le site Web au www.legacyofhope.ca. Notre numéro d'organisme de bienfaisance est le 863471520RR0001. www.legacyofhope.ca.Notre numéro d'organisme de bienfaisance est le 863471520RR0001.

Pour les demandes médiatiques, contactez :
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B. JD. Directrice générale et conseillère juridique interne Fondation autochtone de l’espoir Courriel:info@legacyofhope.ca Téléphone:613-237-4806, poste 303