Faculty of Education | University of Regina | Autumn 2021
Stories about Indigenous education and unmarked gravesites in Canada
< years ( Restoule , 2013 ). 2 The Canadian government and the churches aligned forces to “ kill the Indian in the child .” Assimilation was their point and purpose by order of John A . McDonald . The truth was , they exercised genocidal practises on the children in every form of abuse possible . Although many priests have been reported for their sex offences towards children , only some have been charged . The United Church of Canada in Sudbury , Ontario was the first to publicly apologize in 1986 for the atrocious wrongs that were committed against Indigenous children at these schools . 3 The same cannot be said for the Roman Catholic Church . Of the 130 schools , most of them were run by the Roman Catholic Missionary congregations . The Vatican refuses to apologize despite Justin Trudeau ’ s efforts in 2017 . On September 24th , 2021 , at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops , an official apology was issued for their role in the IRS , succumbing to public pressure ( Warburton , 2021 ). 4
I conclude with my father , Cecil King ’ s , words with regards to reconciliation that he shared in a piece for the TRC . My father was encouraged to become a teacher in the 12th grade . This he did , spending 50 years in education as a teacher , professor , researcher , consultant and teacher of teachers . He
Dr . Cecil King
“ I was one of the lucky ones . I survived residential school . However , I believe it had more to do with my schooling at home and in Buzwa School than in the residential school experience . I did not get on that big black bus that picked children up to go to Garnier Residential School until I was ready to start high school .” ( The Manitoulin Expositor , June 10 , 2015 , “ One of the residential school survivor ‘ lucky ones ’ recalls the experience ”)
is the creator and founder of the Indian Teacher Education Program ( ITEP ) and former Dean of the Saskatoon Campus First Nations University . My father advises to strive for “ bonnigi deh taadewin ” an Ojibwe phrase meaning “ the process of pushing the badness out of your heart .” He suggests that everyone needs to get out of the dialogue of the mind and speak from our hearts , including politicians , bureaucrats , and the general population , before any true reconciliation can happen ( 2015 , TRC ). 5
Additional Note : Dr . Cecil King will be publishing his memoir titled : The Boy from Buzwah in February 2022 through the University of Regina Press .
2
Restoule , K . ( 2013 ). An overview of the Indian residential school system . Union of Ontario Indians . Creative Impressions .
3
History of the apology from the United Church of Canada . Historical and contemporary realities : Movement toward reconciliation . Open Library . Press Books .
4
Warburton , M . ( 2021 ). Canadian Catholic bishops apologize for the role in indigenous residential schools . Reuters .
5
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada : Calls to Action . ( 2015 ).
www2 . uregina . ca / education / news