Tkemlúps te Secwépemc, Vancouver Archdiocese to sign ‘sacred covenant’ on Easter Sunday

Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and the Archdiocese of Vancouver will sign a “sacred covenant” this coming Easter Sunday, committing the church to share documents about the former Kamloops Residential School.

Tkemlúps te Secwépemc Kúkpi7 Chief Rosanne Casimir says the documents are critical to the work of finding the children who never made it home from Residential School.

“We are missing key records to assist us in the investigative work,” she said. “Be it baptismal records, first communion records, confirmation, marriage, or last rights.”

Casimir says that since May 2021, the Nation has sought a clear commitment from the Catholic Church to work in partnership on the investigation. 

“I was part of a historical journey to address the Roman Catholic Church at the highest level meeting the Holy See himself representing our survivors and our people that brought forth their messages with the hope of building meaningful steps towards reconciliation while seeking justice in whatever forum our people seek on the atrocities that took place at Roman Catholic-run Indian Residential Schools with the realities of representing a First Nation still moving forward the aftermath of a school and the sacred care of unmarked burials.”

The Sacred Covenant will commit the Archdiocese of Vancouver and Kamloops to share any records the may have about the Kamloops Residential school, but it does not apply to any records that may be kept in the Vatican.

Archbishop of Vancouver J. Michael Miller says Easter Sunday was chosen because of its deep religious importance to the Catholic Church as a time of renewal.

“The Residential School system did great damage to Indigenous people, as well as their language, customs, and traditions. We recognize our part in the resulting tragedies and the desire to journey with the people of Tke̓ mlúps te Secwépemc on a path to healing and understanding.”

The Covenant also outlines ways to memoralizes the children who attended the school, and commits the church to offer support and healing services to residnetial school survivors.

“Within the sacred covenant, the Catholic parties are committing to work with the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc, to assist in answering questions related to the work during our investigation,” Casimir added.

Tkemlúps te Secwépemc made headlines across the world in the summer of 2021 when the Nation revealed the remains of 215 children were found on the site of the former residential school.

Casimir says excavation work on the graves has not yet begun, and that’s a step that’ll need to be taken in with residential school survivors and other nations impacted by the school.

The signing of the sacred covenant this Sunday will be closed to the media and to the public.