Canada to Allocate $ 256 Million to Mitigate Impact of Graves Found at Residential Schools for Indigenous Children | International

In less than three months, Canada had to contend with the discovery of more than 1,200 anonymous graves on land belonging to four former residential schools for Aboriginal children. On Tuesday, the federal government announced a support plan linked to this national tragedy. In total, Ottawa will spend C $ 321 million (approximately US $ 256 million) on various initiatives. Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, told a press conference that this amount “reflects the various requests received across the country.”

Miller said about $ 100 million will be used over the next two years to demolish or transform the buildings still standing that housed these centers, depending on what indigenous communities decide to do. Between 1883 and 1996, a network of 139 residential schools operated in Canada. Its funding came from the federal government, while its administration was in charge of religious groups (70% Catholic). The central objective of these institutions was to forcibly assimilate some 150,000 indigenous children into the mainstream culture. Miller also signaled that there would be an injection of $ 107 million into mental health and cultural promotion programs to support communities through intergenerational impacts.

Various experts estimate that more than 6,000 minors have lost their lives in boarding schools. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Relations with Indigenous Peoples, said $ 83 million will be added to the search and identification of anonymous graves. Bennett added that the federal government will create a committee – made up of experts in archeology, forensics, pathology and mental health – to advise on these tasks. In addition, a monument will be erected in Ottawa to honor the survivors and children who died in these centers. The work will cost $ 20 million.

David Lametti, Minister of Justice, stressed that the federal government will appoint a special interlocutor who will work with indigenous communities and provincial authorities on the issue of internees. Different voices from the opposition and civil associations had called on Lametti to launch a national investigation into crimes committed in these centers, an initiative similar to the one the Joe Biden administration announced in June. However, Minister Lametti said that “unfortunately Canada does not currently have the necessary legal tools” to deal with the complexity arising from the discoveries of recent months.

Regarding research and identification tasks, the federal government had already made available $ 27 million, which, added to the 83 million announced on Tuesday, gives a total of 110 million. The governments of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario have offered an additional $ 30 million. However, it is not known whether these amounts will be sufficient, since everything will depend on the number of former internees where the investigations are carried out. Specialists pointed out to the newspaper The Globe and Mail that the bill could reach 1000 million dollars in the event of information in each of these centers.

RoseAnne Archibald, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Canada (representing 634 Indigenous leaders across the country), told the press conference that although aid arrived late, she welcomes this commitment. of the government. “Indigenous communities knew the truth, we shared this truth and we fought for this truth to be heard. And there must be truth before reconciliation, ”Archibald said.

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