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The MPP for Kiiwetinoong says politicians expressing sorrow now at the discoveries of children’s graves at former residential schools, but failed to act, need to stop thinking that words alone are enough.
Sol Mamakwa is reacting to the grim discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the Marieval residential school in Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan.
The Ontario NDP critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations says these children were taken from their parents, and never returned home, adding their families never stopped searching for them, and never stopped missing them.
Mamakwa stresses they are not numbers, they are children, who should have had full lives.
He’s again calling on all churches and governments that operated residential schools to release all their records.
Here is the full statement from Sol Mamakwa:
“These children were taken from their parents, and never returned home. Their families never stopped searching for them, and never stopped missing them. They are not numbers. They are children. They are our ancestors and our cousins. They are people who should have had full lives, and whose children and grandchildren should be with us today.
As a person that attended residential school, I am calling on all churches and governments that operated residential schools to release all their records. Forcing us, as Indigenous people and survivors, to conduct heartbreaking and gut-wrenching searches when records could spare us some of that pain is re-traumatizing — and is ongoing institutional colonialism and oppression.
Discovering our lost children is necessary, but not the only action we must take. The 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission must be properly resourced and implemented. Communities still need access to clean water, safe housing, and equitable access to health care, education and mental health supports. Indigenous people are still dramatically overrepresented in the child welfare system. Politicians expressing sorrow now at the discoveries of children’s graves, but who have had the power to act for years and chose not to, need to stop thinking that words alone are enough.”
