MASS GRAVE REVEALS ‘HORRIBLE SECRETS’

The news of 215 children’s bodies found in a mass grave in a Kamloops, B.C., residential school leaves me in a state of sorrow words just cannot define.

To see the shoes lining the steps at the church in Membertou (and Eskasoni) makes those bodies real. The horrible secrets kept by so many are now out — although most of those involved with such secrets are dead. The reality, however, is there are still lots of people alive who took part in such shameful acts yet, to my knowledge, no one has ever been charged and convicted of offences against Aboriginal children anywhere in this country.

Various levels of government have spoken up over the last few years and took some ownership of these horrors. They tried to make financial amends to some of the survivors.

Yet, they have yet to address the accountability issue. Without accountability no one can really heal. Money might buy material things, but it does not heal one’s memory, heart, mind and soul. Accountability heals.

The people who were paid to look after these children have to be made accountable through our legal system. They need to be forced to stand up and report why they took part in such things and why they shut up about it all these years.

Lots of people are no doubt receiving big retirement benefits because they worked in these schools — day schools as well as residential schools. They need to be brought forth to explain to the rest of us the why. It is frightening to think it is real and only the beginning of finding such mass grave sites. No doubt it is a time to pray for all involved — living and dead.

Mary MacEachern

Sydney