JMJ
June 20.2013
MORE ON THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SCAM
Until recently there were many residential schools operating in Saskatchewan. I know of one at Beardy’s Reserve, Prince Albert, Duck Lake, Lebret and La Ronge. They were run by the band or bands. The bands owned them, .hired staff and operated them. The churches had nothing or little to do with them although all had been started by the churches especially the Catholic Church. The Churches protected the natives, preserved their languages especially in the Mass and taught them good English or in some cases French . One person describes the excellent education she received at Lebret “We could learn anything there. I could take German if I wanted to. From there you could enter any field. “ One priest from the seminary near by said “ We had a band but we couldn’t compare with the excellent music learned across the hills at Lebret.” Tom Longboat ,Art Obey and other outstanding athletes received their training at residential schools.
When we first moved up North as a family we lived on the non- Treaty side of Southend. The children went to the Reindeer Lake Day School. Children were punched, hit, slugged in the middle of the classes by other children. The seven year old and nine year old were particularly bullied to the point of being seriously physically hurt. Drugs were immediately forced on the fourteen year old. Our children were treated very badly not just at recess, after school but in the classroom. When they got good marks the principal told the teachers to return the report cards and do them over again. Since they were being beaten they thought well at least I’ll shine on my report card. That was denied to them. The Science teacher in the High School failed all the class except our son and the missionary’s son. He was fired after the first year. The two got the best marks in Cree because they listened. It wasn’t that the other children were slow in any way. We encountered great minds and physical ability at summer camps from the same students. After we left for Brabant Lake but were at a Southend Wake, one boy said of our son: “ Where’s ____ ? I want to beat him up.” Children were told by the guidance councellor to act very bad in Mr. Caswell’s class ,Our children were treated no worse than many others. The rule was bully or be bullied. Many students were kept home from their parents who feared for their safety. No one has offered to help us or anyone sue the band day school nor have we had any interest in doing so. Meanwhile the residential schools were still being used.
One person from Lebret said “ The residential school is still full. If it was so bad why are the parents’ still sending their children?”
Meanwhile FSI, lawyer Tony Merchant,and other Liberals with the help of mandarins in Ottawa were preparing to sue the churches for residential schools. They had their blank forms, recruiters and rules. Rule #1 : THE CHURCHES COULD NOT LAUNCH A LEGAL DEFENCE AGAINST THE ACTION.
Before the cheques started rolling the bands scrambled to close the residential schools that they were running. Many people who did not attend residential school received money even if they said they had not. Many people lied and got help lying. People who attended residential schools which were run by the band also received money. That’s right. The government, that is the taxpayer gave huge cheques to individuals to bankrupt the churches to people who went to residential school while it was being run by Indian Bands.
Tony Merchant has a law office that spans a city block in downtown Regina. His mother was appointed to the Senate. Sally Merchant voted against the dissolution of marriage and other liberal Liberal issues. The Liberal obituary about her denied this. Tony Merchant’s wife is now an appointed senator. Unlike conscientious Tories, Ms.Merchant feels no obligation to answer to anything including her husband’s off shore bank account. CBC of course leaves her alone. The depth and width of the RS Scam lies in the law firm’s monolithic building on Railway Ave in Regina, in that off shore account and in their Ottawa Liberal collabortators. Mr.and Ms. Merchant have much to answer to the public including to the native public. Gay.
