No human remains found 2 years after claims of ‘mass graves’ in Canada

[Bootstrap]

Also, Bootstrap is wrong. There were no mass graves anywhere. That is just patently false.

Bootstrap WAS wrong. I changed my position a few pages ago. I gather you haven't been reading those posts.

Turns out, the researchers and chiefs were right. They were not claiming mass graves. No matter what the NY Post article said. They were not claiming these children were murdered, though some people in this thread got that impression. Nor were they calling for arson or violence, some of them are speaking out against it.

[mike]

Also, Bootstrap is wrong. There were no mass graves anywhere. That is just patently false.

Bootstrap WAS wrong. I changed my position a few pages ago. I gather you haven't been reading those posts.

Turns out, the researchers and chiefs were right. They were not claiming mass graves. No matter what the NY Post article said. They were not claiming these children were murdered, though some people in this thread got that impression. Nor were they calling for arson or violence, some of them are speaking out against it.

Why was there arson and violence?

[MaxPC]

I haven't followed this story, but the Daily Mail claims that nearly one hundred churches in Canada have been burned or vandalized after the horrific claims that hundreds of children were buried under Catholic schools.

Whether or not the terrible claims were true, impressions matter more than reality in some ways. On an Internet forum, to backtrack later and say that oh, after all, the information was wrong or doesn't show what activists claim it does, is one thing. But in the real world, the impressions that were given and claims that were made had very nasty real-world consequences, deserved or undeserved, that can't be retracted.

The problem with mass media in a nutshell. Thank you, Mike. Inciting violence through false reporting is a very real danger.

[Falco Knotwise]

The original reason for setting up residential schools was because of chronic abuse and neglect in certain homes and needing a place to send the children. That was in vogue in the 1960s. There are people today claiming Amish children need removed from their homes and places with non Amish foster families because of allegations of “abuse”.

I think your opinions are based on a faulty premise. It seems there is ample evidence that the schools were in fact started to purposely do away with native culture, and sold to the church under the guise of humanitarian aid. I can't prove this at the moment. I prefaced my statement with 'I think' and 'it seems' for a reason.

Nothing is simply true or false when you’re generalizing about people’s motives which are very complex and not as simple as putting it all into the context of a neomarxist narrative about oppressive cultural hegemonies wanting to dominate.

They were called industrial schools because the object was to prepare them for jobs in the new industrial economy. Learning to speak English as a second language was necessary for that. And I am sure in those days they believed teaching Christian principles was a genuine act of compassion and love, and I especially believe that is what motivated most teachers and missionaries of those schools. Seeing this in overly simplistic terms about oppressing victims in neomarxist language is overly simplistic and foolish, imo. This is what is creating all the violence in the streets.

[Josh]

The purpose of the residential schools in the 19th Century (not the 1960s - the first school was the Mohawk Institute in Ontario opened in 1831) was to assimilate native children and eradicate native culture.

Which, in the 19th century, was considered the humane and ethical thing to do.

[Signtist]

Also, Bootstrap is wrong. There were no mass graves anywhere. That is just patently false.

Bootstrap WAS wrong. I changed my position a few pages ago. I gather you haven't been reading those posts.

Turns out, the researchers and chiefs were right. They were not claiming mass graves. No matter what the NY Post article said. They were not claiming these children were murdered, though some people in this thread got that impression. Nor were they calling for arson or violence, some of them are speaking out against it.

Hey! I wouldn't be a Canadian if I didn't say "sorry!" I missed that, and for that I apologize. It bothered me from the day this story broke how they purposely used incorrect but inflammatory words. And if they didn't do it on purpose, they need to be educated better.

[mike]

Without knowing more than I do about the situation, I think this has some comparisons to the January 6 violence. People in powerful positions (anyone with a big megaphone: politicians, media, activists) have the ability to say things that are interpreted in ways that beget violence. And then when it does beget violence, those who said those things backtrack and say it is too bad that the violence happened, they didn't intend for that to happen, etc.

[HondurasKeiser]

The original reason for setting up residential schools was because of chronic abuse and neglect in certain homes and needing a place to send the children. That was in vogue in the 1960s. There are people today claiming Amish children need removed from their homes and places with non Amish foster families because of allegations of “abuse”.

I think your opinions are based on a faulty premise. It seems there is ample evidence that the schools were in fact started to purposely do away with native culture, and sold to the church under the guise of humanitarian aid. I can't prove this at the moment. I prefaced my statement with 'I think' and 'it seems' for a reason.

The purpose of the residential schools in the 19th Century (not the 1960s - the first school was the Mohawk Institute in Ontario opened in 1831) was to assimilate native children and eradicate native culture.

The quote below is from an 1892 speech by Richard Henry Pratt, founder and longtime superintendent of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania:
https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/te ... n%20Denver.

A great general has said that the only good Indian is a dead one, and that high sanction of his destruction has been an enormous factor in promoting Indian massacres. In a sense, agree with the sentiment, but only in this: that all the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.

Agreed, I think there's plenty of historical evidence to show just that. It wasn't ALL terrible - Pop Warner and Jim Thorpe seemed to have really gotten a lot out of the Carlisle School for example. It wasn't all good though either and it was definitely started with the intent purpose of educating the Indian out of the man.

[Bootstrap]

Why was there arson and violence?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton ... -1.7055838

Fourteen fires took place on reserves and First Nations and 13 were in small or rural towns.

About half the fires CBC News examined involved Catholic churches, but there were fires at churches for other denominations, including evangelical Christian, United and Anglican.

Most of the fires remain unsolved. Of the 33 major church fires since 2021, just nine have led to arrests. In those where charges have been laid, police say no clear motive has been established.

The rest is speculation, I think.

[Bootstrap]

Let's look at the activists and what they are teaching. The main driver here is the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation:

https://nctr.ca/

This group is quoted in the article in the OP. Reconciliation really does seem to be their aim. For instance:

The Imagine a Canada 2023-2024 program invites Canadian youth from K-G12 and CÉGEP to envision a Canada reconciled.

Reconciliation Starts with Education

Learning and commemorating the truth of our history from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge keepers is an important part on the path of reconciliation. To assist teachers, we’re offering Honouring Survivors, a week-long educational program open to all schools across Canada, that supports education curriculums, is age appropriate and free to grades K–12. Join us for an immersive experience to UN-learn the myths of colonial history in Canada.

They are collecting records and experiences of survivors to enable history to be done:

The NCTR is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations.

The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The TRC was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.

The NCTR Archives and Collections is the foundation for ongoing learning and research. Here, Survivors, their families, educators, researchers, and the public can examine the residential school system more deeply with the goal of fostering reconciliation and healing.