By Shaun Penner

"should never have happened"

Apology first step in reconciliation with residential school victims, survivors: GPCSD Chair

Jun 8, 2021 | 5:48 PM

Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools has issued an apology to Treaty 8 and the rest of Canada’s Indigenous community, saying it regrets Catholic participation in Canada’s residential school system.

The apology, posted to the division’s Facebook page Tuesday morning, is read as follows:

To the people of Treaty 8,

In the spirit of reconciliation, we offer our deepest and most sincere apologies as part of the path forward with our Indigenous communities.

We deeply regret Catholic participation in government policies that resulted in children being separated from their families. The emotional and physical abuse experienced by many children and the corresponding suppression of Aboriginal culture and language at residential schools should never have happened to anyone.

The residential school system itself should never have happened. We all need to work together to challenge attitudes of racism and prejudices that continue to exist in Alberta and Canada today.

We owe this apology to all the victims and their families past and present of residential schools.

It’s time to heal, and healing can only begin with full acknowledgment of pain endured.

Michael Ouellette, Chair
Karl Germann, Superintendent of Schools

The apology follows the confirmation of the remains of at least 215 children found buried at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

Residential schools, which began to operate most prominently in the 1880s and ran until the 1990s in Canada, were part of a government-funded system that was operated by churches and religious organizations, one of which was the Roman Catholic church. It was aimed at assimilating Indigenous people to western views while suppressing their Indigenous culture and heritage.

It is estimated that at least 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Métis children attended residential schools during this period, according to the federal government.

With that, GPCSD Board Chair Michael Ouelette says it was important the division issue a public statement of their regret.

“We all talk the talk… but reconciliation is very important to us,” said Ouelette, adding he believes the apology is only the first step.

“There is so much that has to be done.”

Ouelette says he feels part of that reconciliation is continuing to acknowledge that history in Canada while keeping the discussion at the forefront.

“It’s so easy for us to say ‘move forward’, but the pain that was endured… it’ll bring me to tears just to think about it,” said Ouelette. “I think we need to continue, as a Catholic school board, to also educate our children.”

The teaching of residential schools is included in the new draft curriculum, which will be piloted by some school divisions in Alberta next year before being rolled out province-wide in September of 2022.

The current draft does not have students learning about residential schools until Grade 5. Admitting he is not the one who should be deciding when is best to have such material presented to students, Ouelette says it is important students learn the full history of it.

“We want it taught at the appropriate time, and also just not to forget about it,” said Ouelette.”It needs to be in the curriculum… and it needs to be taught right through so that the children will always know.”

While Grande Prairie’s Catholic school division has issued an apology, Ouelette is now calling on higher levels of the Catholic church to come forward and apologize for the church’s role in the residential school system.

“We’ve seen Bishops in Vancouver come out and apologize, I think we need out Bishops in Alberta to come out and apologize… but use the word apology,” said Ouelette.

“Use the words ‘I’m sorry’. Put some strength into it.”