Suspected arson at another First Nations church Saturday
Posted June 27, 2021 10:04 pm.
Last Updated June 28, 2021 12:02 am.
NEW HAZELTON (NEWS 1130) — Another church on First Nations land appears to have been set on fire.
Volunteer firefighters in the village of Gitwangak, near New Hazelton, noticed the steps of St. Paul’s Anglican Church were ablaze sometime after 1 a.m. on Saturdday.
Gitwangak Band Chief Sandra Larin says the church was built in 1893.
“It was hand built by our community members back in the day, and has a beautiful accompanying church tower that has been a tourist attraction,” she says. “It’s one of the oldest churches I think in the country now.”
Although the church hasn’t been used for a few years, Larin says the church has been a source of pride for the community.
“I can tell you when tourism was hot to trot up north here before COVID, there would still be lots of people that would definitely stop and see our church.”
However, Larin says the fire is a sign of the emotions people are feeling towards churches, in light of recent discoveries at former residential schools across the country.
“People are hurting and they need an avenue to get rid of that hurt, however they choose to do it. I don’t advocate arson, obviously, or vandalism, but I understand their pain.”
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Larin says she is trying to balance the anger towards organized religion and its involvement in residential schools, and how religion provides healing for some members.
“We need to appreciate both perspectives. There’s no right or wrong answer in this case. We can’t tell people how to feel. And we can’t tell people what to believe, but what we can do is remember our teachings to be tolerant, and to be supportive, and to show more empathy than we do anger, and that’s the only way forward for anybody,” she says.
The Mounties have now opened up an investigation.
“The RCMP are treating this fire as suspicious and are looking to determine what, if any, connection there may be to the recent church fires in the South Okanagan, within First Nation communities,” says New Hazelton RCMP Snr. Sgt. Darren Durnin.
Two other churches on Indigenous land burnt to the ground Saturday morning: St. Ann’s Catholic Church near Hedley, and Chopaka Catholic Church near Keremeos.
Two other churches, Sacred Heart in Penticton and St. Gregory’s near Oliver, were destroyed early Monday.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for anyone affected by residential schools. You can call 1-866-925-4419 24 hours a day to access emotional support and services.
