Jesuit trained ’Minister of Indigenous Services’ says prosecuting Catholic Church not priority

Video Transcript:

Mr. We're on a long road here of horrific new evidence. No one should be shocked, but people are horrified. You knew the search in this particular residential institution and the Maravel residential Indian school, as it's called, was going on in June. Now there's 715 remains. What support now will the federal government give to that community for the enormous amount of work ahead? Evan, whatever it needs, we did indeed know about this and have been working with Chief DeLarm and working with him in finding the right protocols. There is no predetermined protocol for this devastating situation, so it's been a long painstaking process. It wasn't the federal government's job to scoop this or get out ahead of it, so we really wanted to ensure that the voice of Calis is being heard through Chief DeLarm and will continue to be there for any community that takes this difficult decision to investigate or search the sites, according to its protocols, that are obviously painstaking and very painful at this time. So anything they need, and we've said that clearly to the community. Okay, just on a concrete level, I know $27 million was allocated to investigate and identify. I've spoken to the Regional Chief of Ontario. He said that number's not even close to enough. So could that number go up? Well, it isn't enough, Evan. It's the initial amount that was budgeted as you know in 2019 and is getting out now. There are many other supports that will be there financial and otherwise mental health supports. If Chem loops is any experience, it really needs help from, it could be the national defense transport and closing down airspace depending how the situation evolves or expertise in that the federal government can bring to bear. But it is in our job to be the face of this, but really to support those communities in that longer term decision making process. I had a discussion with the community on the west coast in the childless part of the child tribal council that wants the destruction of one remaining building and will absolutely be there for them. But again, this is a process that does vary from community to community and obviously it will take some time. Mr. How many other communities right now are doing deep ground radar searches as we speak? I can't give you an accurate estimate of that, Evan. We have a sense of the communities. We have one sort of central point at government where the requests are coming in really to, some of them just want to go through that community process. There are a lot of chiefs that don't feel capable right now for speaking for their community because they want to do that engagement with the elders and the survivors that have difficulty speaking for it about their experience or even where to go. So it's a process that is ongoing, but it is certainly a significant number have expressed that desire to have some financial backing in initially. But then also to have the backing of the government of Canada going forward. So that number is evolving. It is sure to grow. And as you know, there's a well over 100 in the sites. Yeah, well, I spoke to Chief Bobby Cameron of the FSIN. Of course, it represents the 74 different nations just in the province of Saskatchewan alone. He said there could be 20 to 22 sites in Saskatchewan beyond just the Maravale site. There's the 139 residential sites. But he also said, look, there are, and I'm using his words. Indian hospitals, sanatoriums and other sites where their torture and abuse happened. They need to be investigated in your view how many sites need to be investigated. Oh, look, I couldn't tell you that off the top of my head. And it does comprise those categories, the hospitals that were that you mentioned as well as it could be day schools, it could be ones that were provincially operated under the auspices of various churches. So there could be many more than the 100 or so ones that are known that were of federal responsibility. So inevitably, it could grow. I guess the point that we're trying to make loud and clear is that any first nation that wants to go through this difficult process, the government of Canada will be there to back. We'll give the numbers here. Will the federal government create, I guess, a special point person? Like I understand your job as the minister of indigent services, but that covers a huge number of issues. Given the amount of sites that are being investigated, the specificity, the urgency, will there be a special point person for this file alone, identifying, dealing with the criminal element, the cultural element, and the unmarked grave element? Is there going to be a specific minister designated to this file alone? Well, within a civil service right now, we do have a concerted group that is working to identify those needs. The TRC says loud and clear that communities need to lead, whether you need that sort of umbrella accompaniment at the federal level, absolutely, we would be glad to do it. It's a difficult task to ask, essentially, the entity responsible for a lot of these atrocities. The federal government, the company of the church, is to investigate the crime, but we have to be there, get out of the way we're needed and support the financial needs of communities we're needed and support them in any way we can, and we will be there to do it. How many? This isn't the place of the federal government to be front and center, but actually be behind these communities helping them. So it's a valid request. I've certainly heard it from a number of stakeholders. It isn't unanimous, and that consensus building will take time. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out, respecting the wishes of every individual. Mr. What's the working estimation of the number of kids that made, because I know Negan St. Clair, who's the professor in Manitoba and the son of Justice St. Clair over saw the TRC, was saying on CTV yesterday, between 20 and 25,000 kids could be in unmarked graves. Well, if you look at the TRC's work, which was exhausted, but far from complete, identified about 3,000, but it could easily double. And as former Senator St. Clair has said, that number could very well jump, depending on the category, pick to 15,000. So it's a wide range. The point in all this is we do not know. And there are many, many people out there that are reliving some memories that actually want to get down to the truth of that as painful as it is and will be there to support them. But the number is very large. And we've always said this is the tip of the iceberg and is intellectually prepared as we can be for this. I don't think Canada is emotionally prepared for this. No, I think it's almost impossible, too. These are crime scenes. People now want to know who's going to be accountable. There are people who worked in these. We have survivors who were there, we're hearing their stories. What about the teachers, the priests, the nuns? What about the government officials who worked and oversaw these things? When will charges be laid for the people accountable for these atrocities? Again, I can't give you that answer, Evan. There are a number of people out there that are first and foremost looking for the truth, looking for some closure. That is our foremost focus. I do concede that to complete that closure at times there will be some level of robust accountability that is needed. It is something that we will continue supporting communities in doing and supporting investigations as needed. Minister, after the 751 remains or hits were located, a former Justice Minister of Jody Wilson Raeble tweeted out, quote, with the horrific news out of Saskatchewan, our collective call is again for complete transformative action. Justin Trudeau, if you care enough to make things right, stop yourself as jockeying for an election, which no one really wants to do what you promised in 2018. At that moment, the crown indigenous relations, your colleague, Minister Carolyn Bennett, sent Jody Wilson Raeble to text saying pension, question mark, meaning that Jody Wilson Raeble does not currently qualify for a pension. If there was an election before October, Jody Wilson Raeble was insulted. She said it was a racist misogynist text, and, quote, reflects the notion that indigenous people are lazy and only want money. Do you stand by what Minister Bennett texted Jody Wilson Raeble on a day like today? You should absolutely never have said that, and she has acknowledged as much heaven. Those are two people that I have immense respect for, and Jody Wilson Raeble, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and Dr. Bennett. I know there was a troubled interpersonal relationship that they had. It was not part of that cabinet, so I do not know as much details people might think I do, but that is something that is between them. I know Minister Bennett's decades-long dedication to reconciliation. I know she is mortified by having texted that to Jody Wilson Raeble and regrets it bitterly, but I will leave it at that out of respect for the two individuals. Although, it is not, and my fortune is not just between them now, is that apology enough or does it hurt your government's ability to work with communities when you have a senior minister, tweeting out things or texting things like pension? You know, I think it- again, out of respect for Dr. Bennett and the work that she has done, I think we owe it to her to let her speak for herself. But obviously, these words are hurtful, and as you know, Minister Bennett does regret that quite bitterly right now. I got to leave it there, Minister Mark Miller. I think it's a deeply profound day, a disturbing day, and a day not just for reflection, but again, re-engaging the urgency for real action here. I appreciate your time. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Evan.