there are some new details this morning about an agreement between the Vancouver and cops arms of the Catholic church and the to Cops tepm First Nation and these are details in an agreement that acknowledges the church’s role in the harms caused by residential schools Linda ward has the details on what is in this document yes so this is being called a sacred Covenant it was actually signed on Easter Sunday so back in March but we’re just getting the documents now this was signed by the T Loops tow schm First Nation the arch dicese of Vancouver as well as the dases of cam loops and it’s basically a set of agreed upon truths about what actually happened at the cam loops former residential school there ground penetrating radar in 2021 found 200 potential burial sites there so this document really acknowledges the harms that happened in that school the role the church played in that and outlines the path forward towards reconciliation it reads in part the Catholic church now recognizes that the consequences of Indian residential schools were profoundly negative and have had a lasting and damaging effect on Aboriginal culture Heritage and language yesterday in a press conference we heard from cookb Rosanne kazimir who spoke about the significance of this document I am pleased to know that the signing of this sacred Covenant is a step in that right direction I went there representing our people with the hope of building meaningful steps towards reconciliation but also Seeking Justice so this has been a very dark chapter and it is a crucial time in history and that we all need to rebuild our relationships at every level and walk this journey together walk the journey together we’ve heard that often in moments of uh of healing and Reconciliation along this process this particular written document the Covenant as you say what does it mean for the overall healing process well it really means that the church is sort of promising to be a part of that healing an active part of that healing so it makes a number of commitments here to helping to memorialize and honor the lives that were lost uh through doing things like you know giving them access to church archives and historians to work with the First Nation on figuring out just who these children were and specifically how they died uh scientific experts as well technology if that is needed and also providing mental health support for families we heard from the Archbishop yesterday on this as well this sacred Covenant and we use the word sacred is more than just a formal document one of many that sort of are on bookshelves it has become and I hope will increasingly become an instrument of further dialogue and accountability it in that sense it’s not a finished document it’s a living Dynamic statement of moving to the Future in hope both the AR Archbishop and the First Nation here say that they hope that this document can actually become more like a template for other dases and other first ations to use when they’re sort of crafting uh their sacred covenants or equivalent going forward towards that path to reconciliation thank you for all of that this morning Linda Ward here in studio with me
The Tk?emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and the Vancouver and Kamloops arms of the Catholic Church have released the details of a signed document agreeing to a historical record acknowledging the harms caused by residential schools and the role the church played.
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