Federal government announces $326,700 going towards Shubenacadie Residential School Support Project

SIPEKNE’KATIK FIRST NATION - In his time at the podium, Sipekne’katik First Nation Chief Michael Sack started his short speech with the thought that, too often, he hears people talk about Indian residential schools (IRS) as something from “hundreds of years ago.”

“It’s frustrating to me hearing it talked about in a past tense like that,” Sack said. “It’s something that never should have happened, and we’re still dealing with the effects today. Our community has a very hard time… we’re struggling.”

Sack was speaking during a federal government announcement Wednesday afternoon in the community, that they are contributing $326,700 in support of Sipekne’katik First Nation’s Shubenacadie Residential School Support Project.

Marc Miller, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, made the announcement. Along with being joined by Sack at the podium, local

MLA Kody Blois spoke, as well as Elder Dorene Bernard, an IRS Survivor, and Sipekne’katik band member.

“There are three generations of my family who attended the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School,” said Bernard. “Several generations of descendants have been impacted and this funding will assist in the research and knowledge-gathering, healing initiatives, and IRS commemorations that are needed in our community.”

Bernard said survivors and their families are waiting for a ceremony and commemorations at the site and this funding is an important step in that direction.

“Survivors indicated healing and reconciliation must include a ceremony and an IRS commemoration at the former site for all survivors of the residential school, for the children who died there, the ones still missing, and for the ones who will never be found.

“Survivors want thorough research of the IRS site, including all surrounding areas, and are hoping that will uncover burial sites that will be protected.”

Asked about progress at the site, Sack said about 70 per cent of the area around the site has been searched so far.

“When we know more, we’ll definitely be updating everyone else.”

He said the process is an “emotional roller-coaster” for his community.

“It’s always hard to talk about … the uncertainty,” he said. “Even if there was anyone missing found, yes, it would set them free and we could celebrate their life but, on the other hand, that was a child that was taken and harmed.

“The search for us stopped because of farmers’ fields in the area, we only had permission for so long. When it’s that time again we can access those fields, we will go back and search the remainder.”

In his time speaking, Miller echoed Sack’s thought that the funding announcement is just a portion of the support with more needing to be done.

“Like Chief Sack said, ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ in terms of financing,” Miller said.

Most of the post-announcement media questions were directed at the minister, including one on working with the Catholic Church where they might have documents that could help searches across the country and answer questions.

“The reality is we are currently working with the Catholic Church and moving forward on the disclosure of documents. We have our own work to do, and I won’t shy away from that. My team recently disclosed thousands and thousands of documents to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation,” Miller said, adding there are some “immense” privacy issues which impact disclosures.

“There was a lot of stuff we were holding back that we shouldn’t have, perhaps under some legal obligation but we do have a moral obligation to get things in people’s hands … and so does the Catholic Church. We will bring our advocacy to bear as the case may be,” adding in his dealing he senses “good faith” in trying to get to the bottom of things.

He also referenced Sack’s comments on how many view IRSs as ancient or don’t recognize the severity of what happened.

“A majority are still opening their eyes to the reality of residential schools,” Miller said. “Recent research shows well over 50 per cent are still ignorant of that reality. They (First Nation communities) deal with that every day and they shouldn’t have to.”

Miller talked about being posed the criticism of “where does it end,” as far as supporting work in dealing with IRS trauma.

“It has its basis in ignorance and disbelief as to what actually occurred,” he said. “I have spoken to people who have called me out on this and usually my answer to them is to go talk to your kids because they’re getting educated in school where you weren’t. And I wasn’t, so I’m in no different position than they were until we learned this later in life.

“The reality is, there is a tendency in this country to continue to deny the existence of residential schools and the current impact on folks today. We can’t hide from that truth because once we acknowledge it, then we can move to repair it.”