After skipping earlier invitations, Trudeau meeting with B.C. First Nation on Monday - Action News
Home WebMail Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 06:05 AM | Calgary | -0.3°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Politics

After skipping earlier invitations, Trudeau meeting with B.C. First Nation on Monday

The Tk'emlps te Secwpemc Nationwill meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau onMonday, about two weeks after he apologized to the First Nation's leadership for not responding to invitations to join them to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

PM apologized for not responding to Tk'emlps te Secwpemc Nation's earlier invitations

A woman wearing a dark blazer and a blue shirt sits at a table and leans in to speak into a microphone during a news conference. A section of her dark hair is pinned back.
Temlps te Secwpemc Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir speaks during a news conference ahead of a ceremony to honour residential school survivors and mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2021. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

The Tk'emlps te Secwpemc Nation in B.C.will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau onMonday, about two weeks after he apologized to the First Nation's leadership for not responding to invitations to join them to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Tk'emlps te Secwpemc Nation is located near the site of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., where about 200 possible unmarked burial sites were detected by a radar survey this spring.

According to a media release issued today by the First Nation, Kukpi7 (chief) Rosanne Casimirand Trudeau will hold a joint press conference Monday morning and participate in an event with members of the community to hear from and honour residential school survivors.

Casimir, Trudeauand Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald are all expected to deliver remarks.

Last week, the Tk'emlps te Secwepemc Nation released a statement stressing that Trudeau's visit should focus "on the real issues of reconciliation" and be more than just a media event.

"Real action and change is needed that supports healing, the revitalization of our language, culture, traditions, and ways of knowing," says the statement. "We are not interested in apologies that don't lead to institutional and widespread change."

The First Nation called on Trudeau to commit federal funding to a new healing centre to support residential school survivors.

The prime minister apologized to Casimir earlier this month for not following up on two written invitations to join the First Nation on Sept. 30 the new federal statutory holiday to honour the children forced to attend residential schools and the survivors and Indigenous communities affected by the system's legacy.

Casimir told reporters last month she hoped that Trudeau would attend. In its statement last week, the First Nation also said the prime minister did not respond to an alternative offer to film a video to be played at a ceremony at the Tk'emlps te Secwpemc Powwow Arbour.

The Peace Tower glows orange as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in a ceremony on Parliament Hill on the eve of the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 29, 2021 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Trudeau spoke at an event on Parliament Hill on the eve of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, where residential school survivors shared their stories.

"All of us all of us need to hold these stories in our hearts," he said at the time. "In our understanding, not just as we reflect on reconciliation, but as we reflect on this country."

The next day, Trudeau flew to Tofino, B.C. for a family vacation. While his official itinerary that day said he would be in "private meetings" in Ottawa, it was later updated to reflect the fact he was in Tofino.

The prime minister said he spoke by phone that day with residential school survivors from across the country.

Still, Trudeau's decision to travel on Sept. 30 was sharply criticized by Indigenous leaders, residential school survivorsand opposition parties.

WATCH: Trudeau expresses regret for Tofino trip

Trudeau expresses regret for B.C. trip, addresses issues in military

3 years ago
Duration 2:01
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed regret for vacationing in Tofino, B.C., during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, while also trying to address mounting pressure to clean up the culture of the Canadian military.

At a press conference in Ottawa last week his first public appearance since the controversy Trudeau said "travelling on the 30th was a mistake and I regret it."

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was "an important moment for all of us Indigenous and non-Indigenous to reflect and to remember," he said.

The prime minister would not say why he decided to take a trip on a day meant to honour residential school victims and survivors, or if he was advised by his staff not to do so.

"The 'how it happened' is far less important than that it happened, which I regret," he said.

With files from Catharine Tunney

Add some good to your morning and evening.

Your weekly guide to what you need to know about federal politics and the minority Liberal government. Get the latest news and sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.

...

The next issue of Minority Report will soon be in your inbox.

Discover all CBC newsletters in theSubscription Centre.opens new window

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply.