Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir reprimanded Justin Trudeau during his visit to her community on Monday, saying his visit was “bittersweet” after the Prime Minister did not respond to invitations to attend a ceremony to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Mr. Trudeau, who was sitting beside Ms. Casimir, nodded slightly while she spoke.
“Today is bittersweet,” she said. “When we imagined welcoming Prime Minister Trudeau to our community, it was envisioned that it would be an opportunity for him to interact with a wide array of survivors, intergenerational survivors, and many different First Nations as part of Sept. 30, the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.”
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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir speak to the press and Tk'emlups te Secweepemc community members and First Nations leaders at the Tk'emlups Pow wow Arbour in British Columbia, Canada, October 18, 2021.
JENNIFER GAUTHIER/Reuters
She also said that two letters of invitations were sent to Mr. Trudeau’s office to participate in the event.
“For us, it was to show his commitment to rectifying the historical wrongs of residential schools and to grieve with our residential school survivors,” she said.
Ms. Casimir said that the community “quietly” learned through a journalist on that day that Mr. Trudeau was instead in Tofino, B.C. for a trip.
“The shock and sorrow and disbelief was palpable in our community,” she said. “And it rippled throughout the world to say the least. Today is about making some positive steps forward and rectifying a mistake.”
Ms. Casimir said now is the time to commit to a long road ahead to bring healing, peace and restitution to all those affected by residential schools.
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Members of the Tk'emlups te Secweepemc community listen to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir speak to the press at the Tk'emlups Pow wow Arbour in British Columbia, Canada, October 18, 2021.
JENNIFER GAUTHIER/Reuters
Mr. Trudeau’s visit on Monday to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation is taking place after he faced considerable political backlash for not appearing publicly on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and for instead travelling to Tofino.
The Prime Minister said Monday that he has many regrets about travelling on that day. He said he took an opportunity to apologize to Ms. Casimir in person for not having been in the community on Sept. 30.
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He also said that his decision overshadowed an event held on the eve of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Parliament Hill.
“Instead of talking about truth and reconciliation, people talked about me, and that’s on me,” he said. “I take responsibility for that.”
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Zunika Jules, a Tk'emlups te Secweepemc band member listens to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir speak to the press at the Tk'emlups Pow wow Arbour in British Columbia, Canada, October 18, 2021.
JENNIFER GAUTHIER/Reuters
Five months ago, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced that ground-penetrating radar had detected what the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children in unmarked graves.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald said Monday that she has been to the community three times since the finding, adding that “our babies are buried here.”
She said that little ones deserve justice, including the dignity to be named and either ceremonially or physically returned to their homelands.
The number for the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419. British Columbia has a First Nations and Indigenous Crisis Line offered through the KUU-US Crisis Line Society, toll-free at 1-800-588-8717.
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