Suspicious Okanagan church fires, Penticton Indian Band in ‘disbelief and anger’

PENTICTON (NEWS 1130) — The Penticton Indian Band says it is shocked by the fire that destroyed its community church early Monday morning.

RCMP say they are investigating the fire that destroyed the Catholic church as suspicious, along with a second fire that flattened a church in nearby Oliver. Both places of worship were located on Indian Band land.

A statement released Monday, says the Penticton Indian Band, along with the Osoyoos Band, are in “in disbelief and anger over these occurrences as these places of worship provided service to Members who sought comfort and solace in the church.”

A Penticton RCMP officer saw smoke billowing from the Sacred Heart Church on Green Mountain Road, at around 1:20 a.m. on Monday morning, according to a statement released by RCMP. When the officer arrived, the church was completely engulfed by flames.

At around 3:10 a.m., Oliver RCMP received reports the St. Gregory’s Church on Nk’mip Road was burning.

The fires took place in the morning of International Indigenous Peoples Day, and after the remains of 215 children were discovered at a former residential school in nearby Kamloops in May.

The Penticton Band says people in the community have been gathering in the church since 1911.

Read More: Catholic Squamish Nation Elder calls on Pope to apologize, visit site of Kamloops Residential School

“We understand the grief and rage felt by our people across the country after the discovery of unmarked graves at government/Catholic run former residential schools. This is a symptom of the intergenerational trauma our survivors and descendants are experiencing, however we have supports to help deal with these emotions in a more healing way,” it reads.

The Band is not speculating about who may be responsible, or whether who did it had any connections to the Indigenous communities in the region, however, it will be providing CCTV footage to the RCMP to assist with the investigation.

“Should our investigations deem these fires as arson, the RCMP will be looking at all possible motives and allow the facts and evidence to direct our investigative action,” RCMP Sgt. Jason Bayda says.

The Band is asking for people to stay away from the area, and to not ask Indigenous people their feelings on the event.

“Please do not approach our Indigenous Members and ask how we feel about it. This is a fresh wound that needs time to heal and contextualize our feelings as we will support the investigative efforts,” the statement reads.

However, some leaders of First Nation communities around B.C. say they would not be surprised if there was a connection between the two fires and the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential school in Kamloops in May.

Cheryl Casimer from the First Nation Summit says her first thought was sadness — for the pain and how much healing must be done.

“It’s a clear indication that people are really hurting,” she says.

Casimer says that even though the discovery a few weeks ago, it doesn’t mean the pain has lessened.

Read More: B.C. Indigenous leaders call on Canada to take ownership of colonial past

“We need to make sure that the destruction of property and vandalism, through the anger that we’re feeling inside because of the residential schools and because of the triggers that have taken place, is not the right way moving forward, if we’re going to heal,” she says.

Although acknowledging that the Church site may bring up mixed feelings for community members, Casimer stresses that the people who did horrible things in residential schools are “not part of the faith that that they continue to believe in. Those are two separate things.”

Casimer says that with the discoveries of more bodies across the country, there will be a lot of pain and anger expressed by Indigenous people.

“But we are in this together and we need to move forward, as best way as possible in a healthy way. So that at the end of it all, that we’re not dealing with other tragedies,” she says.

She says that Indigenous people need to remind themselves to continue to do ceremonies.

“That’s what our ceremonies are for. Our songs and our prayers, to help us get through tough times like this. And call on our Creator to help us get through this and guide us through it in a good way,” she says.

Read More: Singh blasts Liberal ‘hypocrisy’ on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Heltsuk First Nation Chief Councillor Marilyn Slett says that the discovery in Kamloops hit First Nations communities really hard.

“We’re doing a lot, in terms of our own healing journeys, but this really shook the foundation that we’re standing on. It was heart wrenching to hear it and it really did re-traumatize a lot of people,” she says.

Slett says that although First Nations communities have been actively sharing stories of survivors, the magnitude of the discovery was really “unravelling” to hear.

“People have talked about unmarked graves but … really not to this expanse, that we were prepared for that news last month,” she says.

For Indigenous people to heal, Slett says people across Canada need to collectively make things right, by firstly understanding the dark history that Canada has, along with honouring survivors.

Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed anyone or any vehicle in the area of either church some time between the late hours of June 20 and early hours of June 21 to contact the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.

– With files from Paul James

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.