Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen has responded to the unmarked graves found at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School at Cowessess First Nation.
"Earlier today, Chief Cadmus Delorme of Cowessess First Nation confirmed that 751 unmarked graves were discovered at the former location of the Marieval Indian Residential School,” Kitchen said in a news release on June 24. "What has been uncovered here in Saskatchewan is unthinkable, and I cannot begin to imagine the devastation that is being felt by the community at this time.
"The legacy of residential schools has had a profoundly lasting and damaging impact on Indigenous culture, heritage, and language, and much more work needs to be done to address the harmful effects that residential schools had, and still have, on many survivors today.”
Cowessess is located near Broadview at the far north end of Kitchen’s constituency.
Kitchen listened to Delorme’s press conference Thursday morning.
“I thought it was very compelling,” said Kitchen. “Just to hear what was uncovered, it’s unthinkable here Saskatchewan, and I cannot imagine the devastation that’s being felt by that community. And not only that community, but how it affects all of the First Nations in close proximity and throughout the riding.”
He has reached out to Delorme and the other First Nations within the riding, and is looking forward to the chance to speak with them and hear their concerns.
As far back as a few months ago, Kitchen had heard that Delorme was looking at working with Saskatchewan Polytechnic Institute regarding this issue. But the number of graves discovered was far more than expected.
Kitchen urged Canadians to learn from what has happened.
“It’s being taught to our kids in school, and they’re hopefully learning more and more about it. But it’s not just our youth that need to know this. It’s everybody in this whole country that needs to know about this.”
Kitchen noted the federal Conservative Party is calling on the Government of Canada to follow through with the implementation of Calls to Action 71-76 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, and to provide the community with the needed resources to identify, protect, and honour the children buried at the Marieval Indian Residential School.
A candlelight vigil was held at the site of the unmarked graves on Saturday night.
