Cathy McLeod

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc have been leaders for many, many years in terms of how they have moved forward. To be quite frank, the federal government has gotten in the way of their progress, whether that has been economic or in other ways.

We do need to, as we have said tonight, make it real. Let us respect the jurisdiction. Let us provide the support they need. We are very proud of something called the Kamloops amendment. We are very proud of the work at the First Nations Taxation Commission, the economic development they have done, and the partnerships they have made in terms of how we move forward together. We need to continue that and really stay out of their way, but be supportive in terms of what needs to be done.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, this community made the very specific request that they needed to be in charge of this process. They needed their cultural traditions and laws respected, and they had to determine the path forward. The government needed to be there as a partner, in terms of support.

Clearly, I think we all recognize that sometimes governments get overly bureaucratic with how they proceed with moving forward. We have to be sensitive, and we have to take the lead from the communities. This community is providing enormous leadership, and they have an enormous burden in terms of taking care of these lost children. We need to support them.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time.

Tonight we have heard some very difficult and heartfelt speeches. We heard a common theme from the Prime Minister and many others and it is about listening to the communities.

We have a short time frame for speaking tonight, so I thought the most important thing I could do tonight would be to share with the House and Canadians what the communities are saying, what their message is and what their requests are. In a conversation with Kukpi7 Casimir today, we talked about what I should say on her behalf and her community's behalf. She also has an official news release, and this is a direct quote:

As the last logs go on our sacred fire, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of support to our community. Thank you for helping us bring to light such hard truths that came from the preliminary findings regarding the unmarked burial sites of Kamloops Indian Residential School students so that we may begin the process of honouring the lost loved ones who are in our caretaking. We love, honour, and respect these children, their families, and communities.

To the Prime Minister of Canada and all federal parties, we acknowledge your gestures, but as a community who is burdened with the legacy of a federally mandated Indian Residential School, Canada must face ownership and accountability to Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc as well as all communities and families.

We have heard from many survivors from our own community and beyond. They are finally being heard after so many years of silence and disbelief about the deaths of children in the residential schools. No words are sufficient to express the comfort and love we wish to extend to survivors and intergenerational survivors. We see you, we love you, and we believe you. We are thankful to the many who are working hard with us to ensure supports are there as you come to terms with these latest findings as well as your own truths and traumas.

For further important context, we also direct everyone's attention to the report, “Where are the children buried?”, by Dr. Scott Hamilton, which states:

This report addresses the question where deceased Indian Residential School...students are buried. This is difficult to answer because of the varying circumstances of death and burial, coupled with the generally sparse information about Residential School cemeteries. It requires a historic understanding of school operations that contextualizes the patterns underlying death and burial.

Chief Casimir further stated:

We ask all Canadians to reacquaint themselves with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report and Calls to Action – upholding the heavy lifting already done by the survivors, intergenerational survivors, and the TRC. In addition, to show your solidarity, we encourage you to wear an orange shirt and start conversations with your neighbours....

She also had many specific requests to respect the jurisdiction, including their cultural laws and traditions. She said that they must be respected and that they must be in control of all aspects of the next step. She talked about calls to action 71 to 76 and how critical they are.

The AFN has only seen moderate progress on this particular report card. The calls to action are really important and there has been moderate progress. We also heard that there have only been a few million dollars spent out of the $33 million that has been put aside.

I do not think any Canadian has not been terribly ashamed, which is an important word to use. There are 215 innocent children in unmarked burial sites at one residential school, and there were 139 schools. This is a shame and a failure. It is our burden to carry, and we must start to ease the heavy load that has been carried by indigenous people for far too long.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, again, I appreciate my colleague's speech. We are all rocked by the tragic and horrific discovery of 215 children in the mass burial.

I know that for calls to action 71 to 76, there were significant dollars allocated for moving forward. There is, I believe, about $27 million remaining. Would the minister commit to supporting Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc in the forensic work that needs to be done, and making sure that the dollars flow in a timely way so that the people can move forward on this important path?

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, the government has indicated that $33.8 million have been made available with respect to calls to action 71 to 76, but $27.1 million still remains, so it is mostly unspent.

If we want to facilitate moving forward on those calls to action, does the member have any awareness as to what the problem is? Has the process become encumbered? Clearly some financial resources have been set aside for that purpose.

[Points of Order, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I am looking for some clarification. I have always been aware that we cannot speak of the presence or absence of a specific member, but I did not think that this extended to empty benches. I guess you are saying that it does extend to empty benches.

[Indigenous Affairs, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, with the tragic news out of Kamloops, it is clear that many indigenous Canadians and residential school survivors are being forced to relive their trauma. As Chief Casimir said, “We see you, we love you and we believe you.” We need to ensure that supports are available as they come to terms with these latest findings, as well as their own truth and trauma.

In addition to the support hotline, will the minister commit to requested mental health support?

[Indigenous Affairs, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, when the current government was elected, it committed to all 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Sections 71 to 76 are very specific about “Missing Children and Burial Information”. Given the horrific discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, will the minister commit to full financial support and other necessary supports for a thorough investigation, not only there but at all former residential schools in Canada?

[Residential Schools, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, yesterday, Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlúps First Nation revealed that the remains of 215 children had been found buried on the site of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. Today, our community mourns along with those who suffered this terrible loss and alongside all survivors of the horrific residential school system, who are undoubtedly forced to remember their trauma upon hearing the news. There is nothing more painful in life than losing a child.

My heart breaks today, thinking of all the loving parents who never saw their children return home and who were never granted the dignity of knowing what happened. This tragedy is yet another reminder of the important work done by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and how much more work true reconciliation requires. Chief Casimir and the leadership of the Tk'emlúps community have taken on the heavy burden of caring for these lost children.

Finally, to those who love these children, know that I, the Kamloops community and the whole of Canada mourn with them. Their loss will never be forgotten.

[Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo Graduates, May 14th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the COVID pandemic has affected and changed our lives in many ways. However, many people continued to persevere and show up to achieve their goals.

The high-school and university graduates in Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo riding have not only done the hard work necessary to receive their diplomas and degrees, but they have done so in an unexpected and extraordinary time. Many students have had to learn quickly to navigate online school. Students have been told to keep their social bubble small, and many have lost the chance to partake in their important extracurricular activities.

All the graduates have worked through these circumstances and still managed to succeed. Not many people can say that they graduated during a pandemic, and I hope all of these students realize just how proud I and everyone around them truly are of their efforts. The traditional in-person celebrations may not be possible, but that does not diminish the support that these exceptional students have.

I encourage members, if they know a graduate, to reach out to them and share their congratulations and enthusiasm that surrounds their accomplishments.