Photo by Whitehorse Star
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon
Opposition leader mourns discovery of children’s remains
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon has released a statement about the graves of 215 children found last month near a residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon has released a statement about the graves of 215 children found last month near a residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
“The Yukon Party official Opposition joins those across the country who are horrified at the discovery of the remains of 215 children on the traditional territory of the Tk'emlúpste Secwépemc First Nation near Kamloops,” Dixon said.
“Our hearts go out to the children and families of those whose lives were taken much too soon by actions that are nothing less than deplorable.
“We mourn the victims of the heinous atrocities and actions of abuse committed at residential schools across the country, and stand with the survivors.
“We encourage governments to prioritize and properly support actions 71 through 76 regarding Missing Children and Burial Information in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.”
A 24-hour national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for former students and those affected, Dixon noted. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
There are also local supports available by contacting the Committee on Abuse in Residential Schools Society in Whitehorse at 1-867-667-2247, the Yukon Party leader noted.
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Comments (17)
Up 5 Down 9
Sick and tired of the identity games - Get stuffed! on Jun 5, 2021 at 8:27 pm
Dear Infomercial?? I wonder where the fact checkers are when people say things that are not true. Sir John A. MacDonald was a Liberal FFS! He was the leader of the Liberal - Conservative party of Canada at the time - Your statement is false and it is ignorant.
Sir John A. MacDonald was a drunken, and corrupt politician - He committed all of his egregious acts as a Liberal however the Conservative part of him was at war with the Liberal side and as a result of the dissonance he made irrational decisions in a state of inebriated solace... Liberalism caused him pain just as Liberalism is causing us all pain now. You can see this in the increased rates of substance use and abuse and other mental health concerns post Liberal power and authority in government.
Then there is the very real concern that Liberalism is highly correlated with mental ill-health - This is a scientific certainty.
bpfyAs other posts have demonstrated - The Liberals are responsible and have been intimately involved in the Residential
School atrocities; Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chrétien and others at a time when they should have known better.
It’s f$@#ing disturbing how disingenuous “you” people are. Stop blaming us for shat that we had no control over. These were political decisions made by a few - They should be responsible and they should be held accountable - Not average Joe/Jane ‘Whitey’. That is just moral diffusion so that the decision-makers can blame you/us. Stop it. Show us you have an intelligence worthy of my or anybody else’ respect.
Up 4 Down 5
Observer on Jun 5, 2021 at 11:28 am
JW in what shallow world do you live? One day it is my hope we can have a discussion in person.
Up 9 Down 9
JohnW on Jun 4, 2021 at 2:03 pm
For those who actually paid attention to Canadian history, here are 3 very important facts that we should be asking why the media is not reporting:
1) Pierre Elliot Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1979 & supported the use of Residential Schools. So while he raised his own children like Justin Trudeau at home, he continued insuring that First Nation's children were taken from their families and placed in Residential Schools.
2) The Federal Government of Canada, being the Liberal Party of Canada in power at the time, operated the Kamloops Residential School from 1969 to 1978. At which point no effort was made to disclose the deaths of children at that school.
3) Jean Chretien was Minister of Indian Affairs & Northern Development from July 5th, 1968 to August 7th, 1974 and was personally responsible for all Residential Schools in Canada at that time.
Why isn't the Canadian media showing you the link between the Kamloops Residential School and the inner circle of the Liberal Party of Canada?
Why isn't the Trudeau Foundation repaying the $150 million loan it received from the Canadian Government so that money can go directly toward First Nation's communities that need help?
Up 11 Down 10
Infomercial?? on Jun 4, 2021 at 2:58 am
How does Curry feel about the statues of Sir John A. Mcdonald the anointed Icon of the conservative movement that started this genocide?
This infomercial is like when two CBC reporters interview each other and then call that News.
Let the hammer fall on those responsible and then let's get behind a continuing initiative to equalize rights for all humans.
Up 7 Down 0
Confidential Informant on Jun 3, 2021 at 11:09 pm
Dear Breaking News - Agreed, but for, your apparent position with regard to common sense. In counter to the idea that common sense is a mundane feature of the modern day social landscape and therefore not newsworthy I would argue that it’s absence from the modern day social landscape is what should make it a newsworthy subject.
Perhaps we could place the most recent picture of common sense on a milk carton... I know, they say the first 48 hours are critical but some cold cases have been solved on tips from the public sometimes decades later. There is still hope that common sense can be found... After all these years...
Up 14 Down 10
Breaking News on Jun 2, 2021 at 10:16 pm
Sorry, but in what world is this a news story? It should only be a news story if the Yukon Party DIDN"T mourn this tragedy.
Every human being with a conscience feels bad and mourns this horrible tragedy. Will there also be a news story if the City of Whitehorse says it feels bad? How about the Legion? the Green Party? "News" is no longer news when it makes a story out of common sense.
Up 13 Down 8
Moose101 on Jun 2, 2021 at 8:54 pm
The Catholic Church ran 70% of the residential schools Anglican and Presbyterien ran the other 30% they both have apologized for what went on, Catholic Church have offered No Apology???
Up 10 Down 20
Josey Wales on Jun 2, 2021 at 2:11 pm
Anyone curious on how many graves Gladue rulings HAVE made?
How about CCC 718.2 (e), creates lots of jobs for gravediggers does it not?
Funny that...still government agencies doing insane things for your safety and well being.
If we are going to have a conversation, let us have it.
In seriousness do not know the stats, but not a reach to say in the last 20 years...215 graves is just the prairies!
If ya wanna talk history & genocide, state actor influence as it relates to
“ natives” we just call it different things now.
STILL are subjugated citizens, still under CLP rule, P.E.T. the idiots alleged daddy...he had a good part in it too.
Yes this finding is disturbing, but so too is what the PC Crusaders, the foot soldiers of the metric democrats, have done to the many lives destroyed by THEIR LIBERAL policies AND...yes AND the idiots continue to do so!!
Why folks cannot figure this out, continue to support lunatics in political power games.
Seems the whole country is in a “ state sanctioned residential lockdown”
Washing anyone’s mouth with social justice soap that dare question.
Yes, I just freely expressed those parallels in colonial/ liberalism policies.
Should be no need to edit a damn thing here...
Up 26 Down 27
Not confused on Jun 2, 2021 at 10:07 am
Hey Confused, let me sort this out for you.
Regardless of the manner of death, or any other circumstance, the wrongful deaths of these children happened while imprisoned by the Catholic Church and the government. They should never have been there, PERIOD.
Up 16 Down 23
Patti Eyre on Jun 1, 2021 at 10:20 pm
@confused: indeed you are confused. No wagon is being jumped, the 215 bodies is symbolic of the tragedy across the country, across all of North America. You don’t understand that, but I’m hopeful the enormity of this will become clear to you.
Up 27 Down 9
Moose101 on Jun 1, 2021 at 9:42 pm
Why does no one ever call out the Catholic church the people that ran these schools in the name of God ?
Up 17 Down 19
bonanzajoe on Jun 1, 2021 at 9:19 pm
JSM, this was not a "senseless genocide". And it was not carried out in the name of the Lord. Do some proper research before making statements like that. The truth will eventually come out. Wait for it, before you make statements like that.
Up 39 Down 26
bonanzajoe on Jun 1, 2021 at 9:15 pm
I'm Confused: Yes, you are confused. Residential schools were not a horrible thing. Children were housed, clothed, fed and educated. However, back so many years ago, medical care was scarce, not like it is today. Those schools didn't have resident doctors or nurses. The staff had to do much of the medical work as well as everything else. Most of the schools were funded, not by government but by individual citizen donors. And no tax receipts were issued, because it wasn't tax deductible. The staff were hard working people. There were a few bad ones in the mix of course. Any different today? Many of the children that were sent to the schools were physically and yes, even sexually abused before they arrived. Many had lice and open sores that had to be treated. But the media, government and bleeding heart liberals keep those facts hidden. Now, how do I know about all this? I and my 6 siblings were taken from our mother and sent to one. I was 3 years old and spent 3 years there before I was fostered out for the next 13 years. There was over 150 in the school during that time - 1944 to 1947. At least half were Indigenous. The hard working staff were very kind to all of us. They fed us, clothed us educated us and cared for us. The beds were always clean and warm. We were kept clean and tidy. And yes, I can even remember loving hugs. Those schools were necessary in those days, and they served a purpose. So, again, they weren't "horrible things".
There are many other positive things I could say, but it would take a book to record. I don't have one bad memory of the 13 years I spent in the system. Most of those today, have no real idea of what went on in those schools because they just heard stories. For many, it has become a money matter. We whites never got compensated for our incarceration. And why should we? We got through it and survived. For me and my siblings, it was a great adventure. So, for those who are whining, stop it and get over it. And get on with your lives. There is a future ahead of you.
Up 24 Down 32
JSM on Jun 1, 2021 at 4:16 pm
Good to see Currie take a stand. How sad this tragedy was. Senseless genocide carried out in the name of the lord. Trudeau's own dad supported these types of schools so I would be surprised if his son did.
Up 63 Down 24
I'm confused on Jun 1, 2021 at 4:14 pm
Don't get me wrong. I feel that this is a tragedy. But we're really jumping the wagon here with little information.
215 bodies over 80 years of residential schools = 3 a year. It's clear that tuberculosis and polio were also happening during this time.
We can add that healthcare in residential schools was non existent. We get this sensationalized reporting BUT; I'd like the details
1) were all buried at the same time? (possible a plague)
2) were they in coffins?
3) were the bodies subject to trauma?
A possible scenario is that Kamloops was picked as a central point where children from residential school that passed away from a disease (polio, tuberculosis) were all brought to one location and buried.
I haven't heard any answers yet, I hear about the anger, rage, and anguish; but realistically we're doing the same thing with dealing with COVID patients. Piles of bodies are being burned. Post WW2 Americans discarded thousands of Jewish bodies with bull dozers into mass graves. If those are unearthed 100 years from now, while our history is being forgotten then people will think "OMG look the Germans buried Jews in mass graves (they typically incinerated).
Again, my condolences to all of those effected. Residential schools were a horrible thing. I'd just like to know the "facts" of the discovery, versus the very miniscule details we're getting.
Up 20 Down 33
Juniper Jackson on Jun 1, 2021 at 4:11 pm
Sometimes, I don't think mankind deserves to live. The atrocities through out our history doesn't encourage a promising future.
Up 46 Down 20
Matthew on Jun 1, 2021 at 3:42 pm
Ahh yes.. religion strikes again, biggest death cults on this planet are the various types of religions..