Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Prime Minister of Canada Justin trudeau mourns the discovery of the bodies of 215 indigenous children in an old school and boarding school in British Columbia.
“As a father, I can’t imagine what it would be like for my children to leave me,” Trudeau said Tuesday (1/6) in a press statement.
Trudeau said the Canadian government would side with and support the existence of indigenous peoples, and asked ministers to provide assistance.
“Next we need to do to support (schools and housing) survivors and indigenous communities.” Trudeau said.
“Canada will be there to support Indigenous communities, we will see the extent of this trauma and try to provide opportunities for indigenous families and communities to recover.” he continued.
According to Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation, the bodies of the hundreds of children were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, which closed in 1978. The school is the largest boarding school in Canada.
The school was run by the Catholic church on behalf of the Canadian government from 1890 to 1969, before Ottawa took over and closed it a decade later.
Meanwhile, official data records only 50 deaths at the school. Canada’s boarding school system has long been criticized. The school model has been discontinued.
So far, more than 4,100 children have died while attending residential schools in Canada. The 215 bodies that were recently found are believed to be missing from the thousands of children who died.
The school system is seen as forcibly separating Indigenous Canadian children from their families. A six-year investigation deemed the school system a “cultural genocide”.
Trudeau said he was devastated by what the indigenous community had to endure so far, and said the state would side with them.
“Imagine their community that never sees them again. Think of their hopes, their dreams, their potential, everything they will achieve,” Trudeau said.
(AFP/FJR)
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