Church leaders apologize to Indigenous youth, elders for residential schools

Saskatchewan church leaders have apologized to Indigenous youth and elders for the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools.

Leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, United Church and Presbyterian Church in Canada made the apologies at the former site of the Round Lake Indian Residential School on Tuesday.

The apologies are part of a three-day youth and elder gathering at Camp McKay. Participants from neighbouring First Nations, including Ochapowace and Cowessess, attended the event in the hopes of gaining traditional knowledge from their elders.

“I learned stuff that I didn’t even know happened to our people throughout our history,” said Joshua Deschambault, whose father attended day school.

“It was hard to learn some of that, but I think we need to know it. We need to know our history in order not to repeat it or not to be controlled by it.”

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Mary Fontaine, the first Indigenous moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, apologized on behalf of the institution that operated the Round Lake School from 1888 to 1925.

“It’s kind of odd that I’m an Indigenous person apologizing on behalf of the church, so I have to say more than just read the apology,” Fontaine told the group.

Fontaine acknowledged the physical abuse, inferior education and inadequate living conditions at the school, which led to some students’ deaths.

“For these deplorable acts of neglect and abuse we are deeply sorry and we humbly repent. We offer our sincere apology to you, the survivors that are here today and to the First Nations communities,” she said.

Church leaders apologized to a group of Indigenous youth and elders during a gathering at the site of the former Round Lake Indian Residential School. (Allison Bamford/CTV News)

The school closed down in 1950. At its peak, 77 students attended in 1942.

Rev. Julie Graham apologized on behalf of the United Church and Archbishop Donald Bolen offered his apologies from the Roman Catholic Church.

Bolen also took time to thank the younger generation for sharing how they’ve been impacted by intergenerational trauma.

“Thank you for the way that you continue to love in the midst of that intergenerational trauma, for your commitment to walk a different way,” Bolen said.

“We want to stand with you as you struggle for the rights of Indigenous peoples that have been taken away or suppressed and the injustices that you have experienced. We want to be engaged in the struggle for justice for you.”

Okimaw Iskwew Shelley Bear, Chief of Ochapowace Nation, said the apologies were sincere, but long overdue.

“I respect them for that for the acknowledgement to our people,” she said.

“I wish some of them [former students] were here to hear it, but I know they’re sitting in the spirit world and I know they are a part of bringing them here together to share in the apology.”

Bear said it will be harder for some to accept the apologies, but they will be accepted in time.