(Kamloops, BC) Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau visited the territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia.
This commitment by the head of the Canadian government was first announced last week by the leaders of the First Nation.
Prime Minister’s staff will meet with Chief, Rosanne Casimir, council members, residential school survivors and other members of the community.
Trudeau’s trip follows his apologies to Chief Casimir for not responding to the September 30 invitations, the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Mr. Trudeau received negative reactions for traveling that day to Tofino, British Columbia, to spend time with his family instead of attending events to honor residential school survivors.
He had attended an event on Parliament Hill the night before and had spoken to residential school survivors by phone the same day, but Trudeau claimed he made a mistake in not responding to invitations from the 30th. September.
The Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation issued a press release explaining that it was not interested in apologies that were not accompanied by concrete actions to support residential school survivors and revitalize Indigenous cultures and languages.
The First Nation announced last May that ground-penetrating radar had detected what are believed to be the remains of 215 Indigenous children in anonymous graves on the site of a former residential school.
Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan revealed a similar find of more than 700 anonymous graves a month later, as many across the country expressed grief and anger at the news.
NDP MP Charlie Angus said Monday that Justin Trudeau’s vacation in Tofino was “a slap in the face of reconciliation in this country.”
He said Justin Trudeau had to recognize that the actions of many people involved in running residential schools like Kamloops were “crimes against humanity.”
“We are dealing with historic crimes involving child abduction, the attempt to eliminate indigenous peoples in Canada,” he said.
“It is therefore very important that the Prime Minister understands that words, and fine words will not be enough for the moment. ”
Charlie Angus said the NDP wanted a special prosecutor appointed to investigate and not leave the anonymous burials to a series of local investigations.