Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation last month, was ignored by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He however, paid a visit to the Tk’emlps te Secwepemc village and the unmarked burial sites of indigenous children on Monday.
Trudeau apologised for taking his family on a vacation to Tofino, British Columbia, on September 30 instead of paying a visit to Tk’emlps te Secwepemc, which his own government had declared a federal holiday to commemorate the legacy of the residential school system for indigenous children.
Rosanne Casimir, the chief of Tk’emlúps te Secwe?pemc Kukpi7 said that when the community members were told that Trudeau and family were on a vacation in Tofino, the shock, anger, sorrow and disbelief was apparent in their community. She added that it was a day about making positive steps forward and rectifying his mistake.
In late May, the Tk’emlúps te Secwe?pemc had found more than 200 unmarked grave sites of indigenous children who were inmates at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Trudeau stated that the federal government will support community resources including a healing centre. However, he refused to say if the government would pursue a federal court decision affirming a former Human Rights Tribunal decision ordering individual compensation for indigenous children and caregivers.
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