Fw: MNN Mass Graves of Residential School Children Revealed

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Richard Moore

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Apr 12, 2008, 12:00:17 AM4/12/08
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Subject: Fw: MNN Mass Graves of Residential School Children Revealed
Date: 11 April 2008 14:51:05 IST
Breaking News:
Location of Mass Graves of Residential School
Children Revealed for the First Time;
Independent Tribunal Established

Squamish Nation Territory ("Vancouver,
Canada")Thursday, April 10, 2008 11:00 am PST

At a public ceremony and press conference
held today outside the colonial "Indian Affairs"
building in downtown Vancouver, the Friends
and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD)
released a list of twenty eight mass graves
across Canada holding the remains of untold
numbers of aboriginal children who died in
Indian Residential Schools.

The list was distributed today to the world
media and to United Nations agencies, as the
first act of the newly-formed International
Human Rights Tribunal into Genocide in Canada
(IHRTGC), a non-governmental body established
by indigenous elders.

In a statement read by FRD spokesperson Eagle
Strong Voice, it was declared that the IHRTGC
would commence its investigations on April 15,
2008, the fourth Annual Aboriginal Holocaust
Memorial Day. This inquiry will involve international
human rights observers from Guatemala and
Cyprus , and will convene aboriginal courts of
justice where those persons and institutions
responsible for the death and suffering of
residential school children will be tried and
sentenced. (The complete Statement and List
of Mass Graves is reproduced below).

Eagle Strong Voice and IHRTGC elders will
present the Mass Graves List at the United
Nations on April 19, and will ask United Nations
agencies to protect and monitor the mass
graves as part of a genuine inquiry and judicial
prosecution of those responsible for this
Canadian Genocide.
Eyewitness Sylvester Greene spoke to the
media at today's event, and described how
he helped bury a young Inuit boy at the
United Church's Edmonton residential school
in 1953.
 
"We were told never to tell anyone by Jim
Ludford, the Principal, who got me and three
other boys to bury him. But a lot more kids got
buried all the time in that big grave next to the
school."
 
For more information:
www.hiddenfromhistory.org, or write to the
IHRTGC at: genocide...@yahoo.ca

Issued on Squamish Territory , 10 April, 2008,
under the authority of Hereditary Chief Kiapilano.
........................................................................ 
Press Statement: April 10, 2008
 
Mass Graves of Residential School Children
Identified – Independent Inquiry Launched
We are gathered today to publicly disclose the
location of twenty eight mass graves of children
who died in Indian Residential Schools across
Canada , and to announce the formation of an
independent, non-governmental inquiry into the
death and disappearance of children in these
schools.
 
We estimate that there are hundreds, and
possibly thousands, of children buried in these
grave sites alone.
 
The Catholic, Anglican and United Church , and
the government of Canada, operated the schools
and hospitals where these mass graves are
located. We therefore hold these institutions and
their officers legally responsible and liable for the
deaths of these children.
 
We have no confidence that the very institutions
of church and state that are responsible for these
deaths can conduct any kind of impartial or real
inquiry into them. Accordingly, as of April 15, 2008,
we are establishing an independent, non-
governmental inquiry into the death and
disappearance of Indian residential school children
across Canada
 
This inquiry shall be known as The International
Human Rights Tribunal into Genocide in Canada
(IHRTGC), and is established under the authority
of the following hereditary chiefs, who shall serve
as presiding judges of the Tribunal:
 
Hereditary Chief Kiapilano of the Squamish Nation
Chief Louis Daniels (Whispers Wind), Anishinabe
Nation Chief Svnoyi Wohali (Night Eagle),
Cherokee Nation
Lillian Shirt, Clan Mother, Cree Nation
Elder Ernie Sandy, Anishinabe (Ojibway) Nation
Hereditary Chief Steve Sampson, Chemainus Nation
Ambassador Chief Red Jacket of Turtle Island
 
Today, we are releasing to this Tribunal and to
the people of the world the enclosed information
on the location of mass graves connected to
Indian residential schools and hospitals in order
to prevent the destruction of this crucial evidence
by the Canadian government, the RCMP and the
Anglican, Catholic and United Church of Canada.
We call upon indigenous people on the land where
these graves are located to monitor and protect
these sites vigilantly, and prevent their destruction
by occupational forces such as the RCMP and other
government agencies.
 
Our Tribunal will commence on April 15 by
gathering all of the evidence, including forensic
remains, that is necessary to charge and indict
those responsible for the deaths of the children
buried therein.
 
Once these persons have been identified and
detained, they will be tried and sentenced in
indigenous courts of justice established by our
Tribunal and under the authority of hereditary
chiefs.
 
As a first step in this process, the IHRTGC will
present this list of mass graves along with a
statement to the United Nations in New York City
on April 19, 2008. The IHRTGC will be asking the
United Nations to declare these mass graves to
be protected heritage sites, and will invite
international human rights observers to monitor
and assist its work.
 
Issued by the Elders and Judges of the IHRTGC
Interim Spokesperson: Eagle Strong Voice
Email: genocide...@yahoo.ca   pager:
 
IHRTGC Sponsors include The Friends and
Relatives of the Disappeared, The Truth
Commission into Genocide in Canada, the
Defensoria Indigenia of Guatemala, Canadians
for the Separation of Church and State, and a
confederation of indigenous elders across
Canada and Turtle Island.
.................................................................................................
Mass Graves at former Indian Residential
Schools and Hospitals across Canada
 
A.  British Columbia
 
1.   Port Alberni: Presbyterian-United Church
school (1895-1973), now occupied by the
Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council (NTC) office,
Kitskuksis Road . Grave site is a series of
sinkhole rows in hills 100 metres due west of
the NTC building, in thick foliage, past an unused
water pipeline. Children also interred at
Tseshaht reserve cemetery, and in wooded
gully east of Catholic cemetery on River Road .
 
2.   Alert Bay : St. Michael’s Anglican school
(1878-1975), situated on Cormorant Island
offshore from Port McNeill. Presently building
is used by Namgis First Nation. Site is an
overgrown field adjacent to the building, and
also under the foundations of the present new
building, constructed during the 1960’s.
Skeletons seen “between the walls”.
 
 3.   Kuper Island: Catholic school (1890-1975),
offshore from Chemainus. Land occupied by
Penelakut Band. Former building is destroyed
except for a staircase. Two grave sites: one
immediately south of the former building, in a
field containing a conventional cemetery;
another at the west shoreline in a lagoon near
the main dock.
 
 4.   Nanaimo Indian Hospital: Indian Affairs
and United Church experimental facility
(1942-1970) on Department of National
Defense land. Buildings now destroyed. Grave
sites are immediately east of former buildings
on Fifth avenue , adjacent to and south of
Malaspina College .
 
5.   Mission: St. Mary’s Catholic school
(1861-1984), adjacent to and north of
Lougheed Highway and Fraser River Heritage
Park Original school buildings are destroyed,
but many foundations are visible on the
grounds of the Park.
 
In this area there are two grave sites:
a) immediately adjacent to former girls’
dormitory and present cemetery for priests,
and a larger mass grave in an artificial
earthen mound, north of the cemetery among
overgrown foliage and blackberry bushes, and
b) east of the old school grounds, on the hilly
slopes next to the field leading to the newer
school building which is presently used by the
Sto:lo First Nation. Hill site is 150 metres west
of building.
 
6.   North Vancouver: Squamish (1898-1959)
and Sechelt (1912-1975) Catholic schools,
buildings destroyed. Graves of children who
died in these schools interred in the Squamish
Band Cemetery , North Vancouver .
 
7.   Sardis: Coqualeetza Methodist-United
Church school (1889-1940), then experimental
hospital run by federal government (1940-1969).
Native burial site next to Sto:lo reserve and Little
Mountain school, also possibly adjacent to former
school-hospital building. 
 
8. Cranbrook: St. Eugene Catholic school
(1898-1970), recently converted into a tourist
“resort” with federal funding, resulting in the
covering-over of a mass burial site by a golf
course in front of the building. Numerous grave
sites are around and under this golf course. 
9. Williams Lake : Catholic school
(1890-1981), buildings destroyed but
foundations intact, five miles south of city.
Grave sites reported north of school grounds
and under foundations of tunnel-like structure. 
10. Meares Island (Tofino): Kakawis-Christie
Catholic school (1898-1974). Buildings
incorporated into Kakawis Healing Centre.
Body storage room reported in basement,
adjacent to burial grounds south of school. 
 
11. Kamloops : Catholic school (1890-1978).
Buildings intact. Mass grave south of school,
adjacent to and amidst orchard. Numerous
burials witnessed there. 
 
12. Lytton: St. George’s Anglican school
(1901-1979). Graves of students flogged
to death, and others, reported under
floorboards and next to playground. 
13. Fraser Lake : Lejac Catholic school
(1910-1976), buildings destroyed. Graves
reported under old foundations and
between the walls. 
 
Alberta: 
 
1. Edmonton : United Church school
(1919-1960), presently site of the
Poundmaker Lodge in St. Albert . Graves
of children reported south of former
school site, under thick hedge that runs
north-south, adjacent to memorial marker. 
 
2. Edmonton : Charles Camsell Hospital
(1945-1967), building intact, experimental
hospital run by Indian Affairs and United
Church Mass graves of children from
hospital reported south of building, near
staff garden. 
 
3. Saddle Lake : Bluequills Catholic school
(1898-1970), building intact, skeletons
and skulls observed in basement furnace.
Mass grave reported adjacent to school. 
 
4. Hobbema: Ermineskin Catholic school
(1916-1973), five intact skeletons
observed in school furnace. Graves under
former building foundations. 
 
Manitoba: 
 
1. Brandon : Methodist-United Church
school (1895-1972). Building intact.
Burials reported west of school building. 
 
2. Portage La Prairie: Presbyterian-
United Church school (1895-1950).
Children buried at nearby Hillside
Cemetery   
 
3. Norway House: Methodist-United
Church school (1900-1974). “Very old”
grave site next to former school building,
demolished by United Church in 2004. 
 
Ontario: 
 
1. Thunder Bay : Lakehead Psychiatric
Hospital , still in operation. Experimental
centre. Women and children reported
buried adjacent to hospital grounds. 
 
2. Sioux Lookout: Pelican Lake Catholic
school (1911-1973). Burials of children in
mound near to school. 
 
3. Kenora: Cecilia Jeffrey school,
Presbyterian-United Church (1900-1966).
Large burial mound east of former school. 
 
4. Fort Albany : St. Anne’s Catholic school
(1936-1964). Children killed in electric chair
buried next to school.  
 
5. Spanish: Catholic school (1883-1965).
Numerous graves. 
 
6. Brantford : Mohawk Institute, Anglican
church (1850-1969), building intact. Series
of graves in orchard behind school building,
under rows of trees. 
 
7. Sault Ste. Marie: Shingwauk Anglican
school (1873-1969), some intact buildings.
Several graves of children reported on
grounds of old school. 
 
Quebec: 
 
1. Montreal : Allan Memorial Institute, McGill
University , still in operation since opening in
1940. MKULTRA experimental centre. Mass
grave of children killed there north of building,
on southern slopes of Mount Royal behind
stone wall. 
 
Sources: 
- Eyewitness accounts from survivors of
these institutions, catalogued in Hidden from
History: The Canadian Holocaust
(2nd ed., 2005) by Kevin Annett. Other
accounts are from local residents. See
 
- Documents and other material from the
Department of Indian Affairs RG 10 microfilm
series on Indian Residential Schools in
Koerner Library, University of B.C. 
 
- Survey data and physical evidence obtained
from grave sites in Port Alberni , Mission , and
other locations. 
 
This is a partial list and does not include all of
the grave sites connected to Indian
residential Schools and hospitals across
Canada. In many cases, children who were
dying of diseases were sent home to die by
school and church officials, and the remains
of other children who died at the school were
incinerated in the residential school furnaces. 
This information is submitted by The Friends
and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD) to the
world media, the United Nations, and to the
International Human Rights Tribunal into
Genocide in Canada (IHRTGC). The IHRTGC
will commence its investigations on April 15,
2008 on Squamish Nation territory. 
 
For more information on the independent
inquiry into genocide in Canada being
conducted by the IHRTGC, write to: 
10 April, 2008
Squamish Nation Territory (“ Vancouver ,
Canada ”)
 
Posted by Mohawk Nation News
 
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