Assembly of First Nations congratulates City of Quesnel and Lhtako Dene Nation for stamping down residential school denial
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NORTHERN B.C.—The B.C. Assembly of First Nations is applauding Quesnel city council for unanimously denouncing a book handed out by the Quesnel mayor’s wife that denies residential schools were a key aspect in the genocide enacted upon Indigenous people.
“Residential schools killed thousands of Indigenous children, which is a hard pill to swallow for many non-Indigenous Canadians who continue to believe in national myths of fairness and justice,” said Regional Chief Terry Teegee. “But the Church’s own records confirm thousands of children never went home from these so-called schools. This is part of the history of this country, and denying these facts is extremely harmful to the progress we are making towards reconciliation.”
In 2021, Tkemlúps te Secwépemc brought forward evidence of unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Since then, First Nations across Canada have found evidence of around 1,900 unmarked graves at 16 other former residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has found records from residential schools that 3,213 children died in their custody, which they admit is unlikely to be a full accounting due to poor record keeping and many records not surviving.
“Residential school denialism needs to be called out when we see it. This is not a matter of opinion or free speech; it is hateful, harmful, and cannot be tolerated by Canadian society,” Teegee said. “It is incumbent on our allies among non-Indigenous Canadians to speak up when they are confronted by this poison. The BCAFN applauds the work of the Lhtako Dene Nation and the city of Quesnel in stamping out denialism when confronted by it.”
