(Saint-Marc-de-Figuery) Criticized for having refused to give special status to Aboriginal languages in his reform of Bill 101, François Legault opens the door to better protecting them and teaching them more to the children of the communities. He did so on Friday, in response to a residential school survivor who criticized politicians for ignoring Indigenous issues during the election campaign.
Posted at 11:39 a.m.
François Legault put on his prime minister’s hat to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – or Orange Shirt Day for Indigenous communities.
He participated in a commemoration ceremony on the site of the former residential school of Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, near Amos in Abitibi.
Opened in 1955, this boarding house was closed in 1973 and later demolished; there is a commemorative stele on site. It was one of 12 boarding schools erected in Quebec by the federal government and the Catholic Church.
About 200 Aboriginal children per year, torn from their parents and stripped of their culture, frequented it.
“Me, I ate a lot of volleys,” said Édouard Kistabish, who was a boarder for eight years. “I’ve seen some nights that a brother would come get a little guy to take him to his room and everything. »
The 74-year-old then told Mr. Legault that Aboriginal people “are part of Quebec”, but that “sometimes we feel ignored”. “Especially these days, in an election. No party really talks about it [des droits et des enjeux des Autochtones». Même le Grand chef de la Nation Atikamekw en a parlé. Ce n’est pas juste moi qui pense de même. Plusieurs dirigeants pensent comme ça. »
« Je peux vous promettre que si c’est moi qui est choisi [le 3 octobre], replied Mr. Legault, we will spend more time with you guys. We need to get to know each other better, try to move forward together, as equals, nation to nation, community to community”. He called what happened with residential schools “terrible”.
In addition to saying that he wants agreements with all Aboriginal nations – on economic development, health and education, for example – he said that we must “also try to protect your language”. “And that, we are well placed to understand that, with the situation of French in North America. He said he “very much agrees” with the idea of teaching more indigenous languages to community children in primary schools.
Last year, news of the discovery of the remains of 215 children in a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School brought back painful memories in Indigenous communities and reignited the idea of conducting excavations. The Anishinabeg of Abitibi-Témiscamingue – who attended the Saint-Marc-de-Figuery boarding school – recently spoke out in favor of excavations on the site, which is still contaminated by asbestos.
However, in addition to the Algonquin Nation, the Council of the Atikamekw Nation must also decide on possible excavations, which has not been done to date. There would always be consultations among the members of the communities concerned in Mauricie (Manawan, Opitciwan and Wemotaci).