SASKATOON, Sask. — Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to educate everyone on the issue of residential schools and their intergenerational impact on survivors and their families.
That is why Arcand expressed concern about a recent protest by a group of residential school deniers at the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reserve near Kamloops, B.C., near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, where unmarked graves are believed to have been found.
Arcand said the protest by white nationalists on Sunday, Sept. 27, at which participants wore black clothing and white face masks, shows there is still work to be done to confront denial of Canada’s residential school history.
“There are still people that don't believe what happened to First Nations people, and that's pretty embarrassing. It's pretty ignorant of them, and I think they have to be put in check. They have to realize this is a real thing in history,” said Arcand.
He added that what Indigenous peoples experienced while attending residential schools was a dark chapter in Canada’s history, and now everyone is taking the opportunity to heal through truth and reconciliation and ensure it doesn't happen to another child again.
“Regarding the negativity and denialism of the residential schools, because the facts are there, so if that's a situation where they have to be held accountable, I'm fully supportive, but I think they need to be educated. They need to be understanding,” added Arcand.
“They really need to focus on what's best for everybody, and dividing us through hatred and negativity is not going to help anyone… I think they have to be put in check, and they have to realize this is a real thing in history. It was a dark secret for everybody, but now it's been exposed.”
Asked whether the federal government should pursue criminalizing residential school denialism, Arcand said he supports such a measure, arguing that governments have a responsibility to protect people from hate and hold individuals accountable for their actions.
He said that if denialism or related conduct is classified as a hate crime, there should be accountability for those involved, while also expressing support for Kamloops’ First Nations and urging Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to stand together in opposing hatred.
“Our heart goes out to the Kamloops First Nations people and what they're going through. We all have to stand together with them, whether we're Indigenous or non-Indigenous, and say this is unacceptable in society,” said Arcand, adding that residential school survivors’ experiences should be acknowledged.
