Catholic Archbishop says church will help identify the remains of 215 children found buried near old Kamloops Indian Residential School

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The head of the Catholic Church in Vancouver has promised that all church archives and records will be given to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation near Kamloops, as the band tries to identify 215 children found buried near an old church-run residential school close-by.

Archbishop J. Michael Miller said on Wednesday that the church would be “fully transparent with our archives and records regarding all residential schools, and strongly urge all other Catholic and government organizations to do the same.”

He said the church would also offer technological and professional support “to help the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and other affected Nations in whatever way they choose to honour, retrieve and remember their deceased children.”

Last Thursday, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reported that the bodies of these children – some as young as three – had been located in a field on their land close to the old school site, using ground-penetrating radar.

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In a statement released on Twitter, Miller wrote “I wish to apologize sincerely and profoundly to the survivors and their families, as well as to all those subsequently affected, for the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of those Catholics who perpetrated mistreatment of any kind in these residential schools. The Church was unquestionably wrong in implementing a government colonialist policy which resulted in devastation for children, families and communities.”

The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation says the remains were found spread out in an unmarked, undocumented burial site.

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, academic director at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC, said key narrative documents from the Kamloops Indian Residential School had not been provided to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

“The churches handed over most records, but in a few cases, the narratives were withheld, notably at Kamloops and St. Anne’s (in Ontario),” Turpel-Lafond said.

“The school’s narrative document is missing. These narratives are prepared for all schools, and include key pieces of information about the running of the school, notable dates, lists of principals, school attendance yearly, and if there were key cases of abuse against staff or students at the school.”

She said the majority of school narrative documents had been provided to the NCTR and hoped Miller’s statement was a “moment of significant action or reversal of position.”

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Chief Rosanne Casimir said several different denominations, including Catholic bishops, had reached out to her after the news came out.

Speaking to APTN News on Tuesday, she said only one section of land near the old school – which is still standing and is used by the community – had been searched by radar.

“That’s just one section. A lot more work needs to be done,” she said. “We are going to be be reaching out with many asks of the federal government because this is just the beginning.”

Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde said the federal government must provide assistance to First Nations seeking help in finding missing children near old residential schools.

“The discovery at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirms what First Nations have believed for decades took place at residential schools,” he said.

Miller said his diocese would be “fully transparent with our archives and records regarding all residential schools, and strongly urge all other Catholic and government organizations to do the same.”

He went on to say that the church’s records on the school were provided to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and were available for review. It is not known what other information the church has on the school that could help identify the deceased children.

dcarrigg@postmedia.com