JUDY WOODRUFF: The shocking discoveries of several hundred unmarked graves at former
boarding schools for indigenous children in Western Canada has focused attention a dark
chapter of that nation's history. As John Yang reports, it's a story of forced assimilation
and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. JOHN YANG: Judy, for more than a century,
the children of Canadian native communities, including what's known as the First Nations,
were taken from their families and sent to Christian boarding schools run for the government,
about 70 percent of them run by the Catholic Church. An estimated 150,000 children passed
through these schools before they were closed in 1996. They were banned from speaking their
languages or practicing their traditions. Children died, and their families were never
told, their bodies never returned. After the discovery of these graves over the last six
weeks, indigenous leaders have demanded an investigation into what they call a crime
against humanity. Heather Bear is vice chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous
First Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. She joins us from Prince
Albert, Saskatchewan. Vice Chief Bear, thanks so much for being with us. I understand you
went to one of these schools. What can you tell us about your experience and what it
was like? HEATHER BEAR, Vice Chief, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations: This
has shaken, shaken our country, not only First Nations, but many non-First Nations, government
leaders, professionals. And I think just every corner of our country has now been impacted
with this new awareness that is not new. This has always been. These stories have all been
told. What is coming out with this is the real story. And we need to change that legacy,
because it is a very dark legacy, a dark history of First Nations, when we talk about the abuse
and the horrendous crimes against children. At the time that I went was after 1972. And
the chief's task force in Saskatchewan, Indian control of Indian education, that was something
that happened. So, the transition was happening, where First Nations were starting to operate
these schools and the churches were transitioning out. However, there still was that lonely,
heavy feeling, that you can't really explain it. You have to be there. But also tied to
that was the oral tradition, the stories, the whispers, the -- what the students and
teachers would talk about in terms of what had happened at those schools, and the hauntings.
It was a very haunting experience, especially when you look outside your window and there
is a cemetery. And I'm naming Marieval School. And I remember the swing set in the playground.
Just a few steps away, you were looking at a cemetery. So, I asked the question, how
many schools do you see with cemeteries in their yards? That should have been playgrounds.
JOHN YANG: What does this do? You talk about the legacy of this and the -- I imagine, with
these new discoveries in these past several weeks, it's sort of re-traumatizing. What
is the sort of impact on generations and generations of indigenous people in Canada? HEATHER BEAR:
You know, I could probably sit here for a hundred years and not be able to explain or
talk about the impacts, because they're so huge, and they're at different levels. You
have your survivors who are directly impacted that still live today, whether it be sexual
abuse, physical, mental, spiritual, language abuse, not being able to speak your mother
tongue, not being able to pray, not being -- and to be told you're not human, you're
inhuman, if you didn't take on this Christianity. And like I say, the -- what is going on right
now, I think, when you look at the impacts, there's direct impacts that are -- and there's
impacts that are intergenerational. And like, today, you still have addictions. You still
have family violence. You still have poverty. JOHN YANG: Seventy percent of these schools
were run or started by the Catholic Church. The Vatican has announced that they are going
to have three of the biggest indigenous groups coming to the Vatican, going to the Vatican
at the end of the year to meet with the pope. Is that enough, this sort of meeting? And
what do you want to come out of that meeting? HEATHER BEAR: Well, contrary to contrary to
what the pope says, he believes that they -- that is not their role to give an apology,
according to their structure. But I believe, as a leader, as leaders, we -- I think we
have to take responsibility and accountability. And when we talk about healing, doesn't the
good book talk about forgiveness? And, in terms of our healing, we need to forgive.
But we need that church to apologize and admit the harms that they have done, so that we,
as indigenous people, as survivors of residential school, can at least turn to you and have
that opportunity to forgive, and get on that long, hard journey of healing and surviving.
I mean, there's great accountability, their great leader. These were men of the cloth
that abused our children. They're men of the cloth that were perpetrators, who perpetrated
the most horrendous crimes against children. I mean, I think the church owes the indigenous
peoples of this country, I know for -- I'm certain, with all the transgressions, they
owe us something back in the name of healing. JOHN YANG: Heather Bear, vice chief of Federation
of Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan, thank you very much. HEATHER BEAR: Thank you.