The history of cemeteries at Indian residential schools in Canada is evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity, says independent special interlocutor Kimberly Murray in a newly released historical report.Kimberly Murray speaks after being appointed as Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools,in Ottawa June 8, 2022.
The historical review says government policies prioritized saving money over the humane treatment of the children who died, their families and communities. Murray was appointed in 2022 with a mandate recently extended to October 2024. She doesn't expect the federal government to respond officially to this report, as it doesn't convey her final recommendations."We will take the time to give proper consideration to the Special Interlocutor's recommendations as we await her final report expected this fall," wrote spokesperson Chantalle Aubertin.
One of them shows roughly two dozen children gathered in the cemetery at Dunbow Industrial School, also known as St. Joseph's, in southern Alberta. In that photo, the children stand amid wooden crosses marking what could be children's graves."Many children were buried in the institution's graveyard; in some cases, children were buried two to three in one coffin. Children who were forced to work in the Dunbow cemetery are seen in a photograph from 1918," the report says.
"And so what does that mean? That means that the state has an obligation to access and facilitate access to the truth," she said.