STATEMENT ON THE VATICAN’S APOLOGY FOR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

(April 11, 2022 - Fort McMurray, AB) Athabasca Tribal Council has reflected on the events of the past few weeks and recognizes that following meetings with First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives who told their stories as residential school survivors, Pope Francis has apologized for the deplorable abuses to Indigenous people under the residential school system by members of the Roman Catholic Church. Our hearts are with those who shared the truth first-hand to Pope Francis and we send them our gratitude and prayers. 

Also, in these past weeks, the first Truth Scanning Gathering of the former site of the Holy Angels Residential School in Fort Chipewyan also took place. Our prayers are with the survivors of this school, their families, and their descendants as they meet to begin the process to identify the graves of those who never returned home. 

As is now a well-known truth, residential schools were established with one purpose in mind, not to educate, not to protect, not to preserve, but to intentionally and systematically assimilate Indigenous children. It is crucial that there is recognition by the Roman Catholic Church of its foundational role in the residential school system. The onus of this truth is now on the Church to take action. The apology by Pope Francis was an important first step, but more must be acknowledged, not solely the actions of individuals. 

Delegates have reported that a visit from the Pope is likely in the coming months. ATC will be monitoring these developments closely and call for the Church to take meaningful acts of reconciliation with all Indigenous people. This should include unfettered access to records and properties, support for searches and long-term sustainable funding and support for trauma-informed programming and services that are much-needed for survivors and descendants suffering from intergenerational trauma. 

ATC will continue to support survivors and descendants of the residential school systems in our communities. We honour the survivors because, through their strength, communities have maintained a connection to language and land. The colonization goal of “taking the Indian out of the child” was not successful, as Indigenous communities are resilient and on a path of resurgence.  

ATC will keep fighting for justice and call for institutions to take meaningful actions of truth and reconciliation. This includes all religious institutions involved in the residential school system, the Government of Canada and RCMP. We will hold these institutions accountable in continuing to acknowledge the truth of their role in this dark history of Canada.