Ongoing Residential Schools Tragedy Discussion

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

There are many theists who don’t attend church and don’t pray.

what makes them theists? a vague sense of belief but no practical theology or ritual, no actions what so ever?

I'm not judging anyone, it makes no difference to me if people take some comfort or mollify their Grandparents by continuing to describe themselves as Catholic or Jewish or Muslim but for someone to 'be something' they need a set of beliefs and actions that go with it, I can call myself a fisherman but I own no fishing gear, haven't been fishing in 45 years and have no plans to ever go fishing again, I am not actually a fisherman, despite the fact I have some passing knowledge of fishing and went fishing a bit when I was kid with me grandad.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

The link you posted just goes to this page. I'd be interested in reading the whole article - could you re-post?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nationa...ebb938ff8/amp/

I think this is it.

[FlamesAddiction]

See, I didn't learn any of that in the Canadian school system. We were vaguely made aware of injustices, but nothing all that specific.

I hope this is part of the regular curriculum these days, but probably wishful thinking.

[jayswin]

Yeah, me either. It was pretty much censored out of our curriculum when I went to school (late 90's - early 2000's). Like I said before, I came from a time when Indigenous Canadians were seen as a problem even in the education system, to the point where our gym teacher routinely use to say "You're running around like a bunch of natives!!!" when we got out of control and needed to be settled down.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

See, I didn't learn any of that in the Canadian school system. We were vaguely made aware of injustices, but nothing all that specific.

I hope this is part of the regular curriculum these days, but probably wishful thinking.

My wife and I are signing up for this course through UofA at the end of the month when we have some time to dig into it and give it the attention it deserves. I suggest anybody else who feels left in the dark by their public schooling (like myself) take it as well. No fee.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada

[Slava]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Anyone who doesnt go to church or pray is at least an agnostic, and my guess is thats into 60% in Canada, telling a researcher that you self identify as Anglican or Catholic because that is your families traditional faith and your Granny used to go to church does not make you a person of faith, it makes you a person of a faith based heritage, a culture if you will.

If you are truly a person of faith you believe your soul is damned for eternity if you dont worship and live rightously, if you believe this you aint slacking off going fishing or picking up some over time

What if you’re not Christian? There are other religions that don’t attend church (obviously) and don’t pray.

[calculoso]

Latest reports of unmarked graves lack important context says former Aqam chief

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/latest-re...hief-1.5493369

For a country coming to terms with a painful past, the announcement of 182 unmarked graves identified next to a former residential school was immediately horrific.
"Every time there's those words come out: 'unmarked grave,' people jump on it and think 'oh, it's got to do with the residential schools,'" says Sophie Pierre, who served as chief of the Aqam community for 26 years.

But she says the context of those people's remains is far more complicated than first reported. She says although well-intentioned, the reports were painful to her and many others in the small community just north of Cranbrook. It demonstrates the difficulty of coming to terms with the often horrifying history of the settler-Indigenous relationship.

"It says to me that I think Canadians are finally hearing it, because of course we've been saying this for decades," she says.

…

The nearby site has been a graveyard for the small community since at least the mid-1800's, and for 25 years sat next to a regional hospital. Most if not all graves were marked with wooden headstones that have long since rotted away or been destroyed by grass fires.
"Including my grandmother and my grandfather - because they're buried in there and I don't know where their sites are because the crosses burnt down," Pierre recalls.
"I don't think there's any doubt that there are probably some children who went to school here and died and are buried in that graveyard, but it's not 182."

…

As a young girl of five or six, Pierre stood in its halls for her first day of school.
"I went here for nine years. So every time this comes out, it affects me personally," she says, becoming emotional. "I think 'dammit I'm not a victim! I'm not an eff-ing victim."
Speaking in front of the former school, her long time confidant and advisor Gwen Phillips recounts the story of a close relative who ran away one year, up and over the steep dry mountains and back to her community. The girl was caught, taken back to the school where Phillips says she was tied to a bed frame for two days and beaten.

[kn]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

The link you posted just goes to this page. I'd be interested in reading the whole article - could you re-post?

Sorry about that:
https://nationalpost-com.cdn.ampproj...ebb938ff8/amp/

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

My wife and I are signing up for this course through UofA at the end of the month when we have some time to dig into it and give it the attention it deserves. I suggest anybody else who feels left in the dark by their public schooling (like myself) take it as well. No fee.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada

That looks really good.

I am fortunate that my employer has put me through a few in-house and external Indigenous History courses. They are one of the biggest stakeholders we work with so it helps to have this context.

I'm still learning new stuff all the time though.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Slava

What if you’re not Christian? There are other religions that don’t attend church (obviously) and don’t pray.

All religions have some form of ritual and regular worship if you are a believer, buying a crystal and calling yourself wicken isnt really being religious which is kind of my point, mamy many people like to call themselves something but in practise only a very small portion actually do any of the things that which ever faith they claim requires.

All I am trying to point out is that people claiming to be of a faith is massively different from the tiny portion of them that actually practise the faith they claim, Canada is a nation of agnostics mostly.

[jayswin]

And one of nine countries where religion is on pace to go extinct.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

All religions have some form of ritual and regular worship if you are a believer, buying a crystal and calling yourself wicken isnt really being religious which is kind of my point, mamy many people like to call themselves something but in practise only a very small portion actually do any of the things that which ever faith they claim requires.

All I am trying to point out is that people claiming to be of a faith is massively different from the tiny portion of them that actually practise the faith they claim, Canada is a nation of agnostics mostly.

Tiny proportion? 29 per cent of Canadians pray daily, while only 36 per cent never pray, and only 25 per cent never go to church.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...ion-in-canada/

Canadians who think religion should play no public role in public life at all are a small minority - 25 per cent according to Angus Reid. Another 26 per cent feel it should not play much of a role, while 49 believe it should play some or a major role in public life.

When we look at new Canadians, 64 per cent feel religion should play some or a major role in Canadian life. 63 per cent of new Canadians say they relied on religious communities to form a network when they arrived in the country, with half receiving material support from religious organizations.

https://angusreid.org/faith-canada-immigration/

Which is why I’m skeptical religion will die off in Canada, like some here hope. With most of Canada’s population growth coming from immigration, and most new Canadians (including second generation) considerably more religious than the existing population, the steep declines of recent decades are likely to level off.

Finally, the number of Canadians who say the overall contribution of religious faith and communities on Canada is mostly or all negative is 14 per cent. It simply is not a widely shared belief.

[redforever]

This gentleman says that residential school investigations should include reform schools. He was a ward at at St. Joseph’s, about 70 kilometers east of Ottawa. He had an awful experience and describes brutalities that are hard to read.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canad...edgdhp&pc=U531

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Latest reports of unmarked graves lack important context says former Aqam chief

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/latest-re...hief-1.5493369


…



…

I am sure there is nuance at all the grave sites.

But the news of these sites is now bringing the national conversation about residential schools to the forefront, which is long overdue. The very idea of those schools (see those John A MacDonald quotes about civilizing savages) made them a terrible place.

In other words, it's not just about the graves people are outraged about. It is about the function those schools had, the church/state relationship, and the continued injustice survivors are facing.

[Fuzz]

In light of recent multiple acts of vandalism at places of worship and the suspected arson that burned a church to the ground, emergency funding will be immediately available to facilities at risk of hate or bias-related crimes. The funding is for cases where an immediate threat is identified and there is evidence to support that threat.

https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?x...0B6D3DF737FFD1


Hilarious we now have tax dollars to pay for protecting churches who don't pay taxes. Maybe they could use some of their hordes of cash to pay for it themselves? Or, I dunno, do the right thing so you aren't a target? So so happy I get to pay for this now. Really awesome stuff.

[stone hands]

Does the government usually step in and support victims of arson? I would think finding the perpetrator is where it starts and ends for their involvement

[troutman]

Inuk leader Mary Simon named Canada's 1st Indigenous governor general

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tru...wBvAcuCVa4-zI8

"I can confidently say that my appointment is a historic and inspirational moment for Canada and an important step forward on the long path towards reconciliation," said Simon from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.

"Indeed, my appointment comes at an especially reflective and dynamic time in our shared history."

[redforever]

Three Quebec-based religious orders that staffed residential schools in the rest of Canada have earned millions of dollars from property sales in recent years, even as the Catholic Church said it couldn't raise enough money to pay its share of a settlement meant for survivors.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...urch-1.6092215

[woob]

Catholic officials said in 2015 they could only fundraise a total of $3.9 million for residential school survivors, but efforts for Catholic cathedrals and other buildings across Canada reached nearly $300 million since November 2005, according to data gathered by CBC News.

The actual number may be higher. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops declined a CBC News request this week to ask its member bishops for the information. The figure of $292 million resulted from searches of individual dioceses' websites and other public sources.

These include a $128-million renovation of St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica in Toronto. The 2016 gala opening — complete with a brass band — was held one year after Canadian church groups went to court to say there was no more fundraising money for survivors.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...vors-1.6090650

Catholic Church DGAF?

[Fuzz]

What I find gross is that they are "fundraising" to pay for their crimes. They made money from this, and they can't even reach into their money bin to pay it out.