Cowessess First Nation Knowledge Keeper Florence Sparvier painfully recalled how she and other Indigenous kids were treated at the former Marieval Indian residential school on the Cowessess reserve in Marieval. Barbier spoke about her experience in a press conference held on Zoom that was also attended by Cowessess First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron.
Sparvier was survived the horrible treatment by nuns who ran the residential school that was founded and operated by the Roman Catholic Church more than a century ago. Her story is one of the heartbreaking tales Indigenous children experienced that are now being known after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves in the former residential school.
She said that she was eight years old when her parents, who were left with no choice, took her to the boarding school.
“If the parents didn’t want to allow their children to go to boarding school, one of them had to go to jail. So, in order to keep the family together, we went to boarding school. We stayed there. Those nuns were very mean to us. I don’t know [why]. I think they don’t like it being there either.”
Sparvier added that the beliefs and traditions they learned from their parents and tribal elders were slowly replaced by Roman Catholic Church teachings.
“We had to learn how to be Roman Catholic, we couldn’t say our own little blessings the way we set it at home. We had our own way of honouring Mother Earth in our homes, but we had to leave that after. They told us about the new being that was supposed to be our ultimate saviour.”
Sparvier, who was the third in their family to attend the Marival residential school, said school officials were condemning towards their people.
“They told us that our people, our parents, our grandparents didn’t have a way to be spiritual because we were all heathens. They were putting us down as a people. We learned how to not like who we were and that has gone on and on. When we became assimilated, they made us think different. They made us think that we don’t have souls.”
Chief Delorme said it was on June 2 they began with radar penetrating research.
“As of [Wednesday], we have hit 751 unmarked graves. This is not a mass grave site. Over the past years, the oral stories of our elders, of our survivors, and friends of our survivors have told us stories that these burials were here in 1960. There may have been marks on these graves, but Catholic church representatives removed these headstones and today they are unmarked graves.”
He added that the radar penetrating machine they used has a 10 to 15 error percentage but they know that there are at least 600 unmarked graves that are one meter by one meter apart. “In some cases, we cannot affirm that they are all children. But there are oral stories that there are adults in this grave site as well because it was the Roman Catholic church that overseen this grave site.”
Delorme said the impact of the Roman Catholic residential school system is still being felt today.
“Today, we have generations that may have not went to residential schools, but they are feeling the first and second generation of that impact. All we ask of all you who are listening is that you stand by us as we heal and we get stronger.”
“That we must put down our ignorance and accidental racism of not addressing the truth that this country has with Indigenous people. We are not asking for pity. But we are asking for understanding. We need time to heal and this country must stand by us.”
Reaction
The outpouring of support came swiftly with non-profit group SaskMusic, which organized an online National Indigenous History Month concert on Thursday evening, renewing calls for the nation to support the survivors.
“We acknowledge the immense pain and rage being felt by our Indigenous friends with the announcement of further unmarked graves, located at Cowessess First Nation.”
“We stand with calls for Canada to support survivors and those dealing with inter-generational impacts of the residential school system, work in transparency to locate and identify victims from all residential school locations, and implement the TRC’s calls to action. We support you in your calls for justice, truth, and reconciliation.”
The Saskatoon Public Schools said the only way to move forward with this story is through reconciliation and education.
“We acknowledge the pain today’s news will bring many of our students, staff members, families, partners and community members. This is a story of our past, our present and is our future. As a school division, we know the path forward is through reconciliation and education.”
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark, on a Facebook post, said that although the exact number of unmarked graves is yet to be known, FSIN officials stated that the number could be the most in the county.
“This brings the horrific truth of these schools right to our doorstep. Many of these children will have had direct relatives who now live in Saskatoon. They are the missing children that families have been trying to find over the decades.”
“We must support Chief Delorme and the Cowessess community, the survivors and family members of Marieval Residential School students. I cannot imagine the pain and grief people are feeling. We must hold it in our own hearts with them. I have attended the annual Cowessess First Nations Christmas supper for Saskatoon band members on a few occasions and have seen the vibrancy and warmth of the community.”
“As we digest this devastating news, we must move to action and commit to right the wrongs of our country and work together towards Truth and Reconciliation. The City is committed to this work and lowering the flags is only one action we will be taking to support the community at this time.”
