Church denies responsibility for residential school abuse

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The recent split between the Catholic Church and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs on the issue of residential schools was to be expected, say representatives from both sides.

As administrators of more than half the residential schools in Manitoba, the Catholic Church is in a vulnerable position as allegations of abuse begin to surface throughout the province.

And Father Claude Blanchette, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Advisory Committee on Native Issues in Manitoba, admits errors were made.

But as he's quick to add there were positive aspects of the schools, and to clarify their history.

"The Indian residential school experience must be seen in the larger historical context of the interaction of European and Native cultures. And that collision created problems, enormous problems, for the Native people.

For the past three years, the Bishops Advisory Committee has stood firmly behind this position. To some, that has allowed the church to avoid the question of whether, and to what extent Indian children were abused by Catholic clergy.

When asked if the Catholic Church in Manitoba accepts responsibility for any abuse that may have occurred in their schools, Blanchette answers with an unambiguous no.

"A corporation cannot be held responsible for what an employee does," he stated. "All it can do is acknowledge wrongdoing was done and fire the individual."

Blanchette is adamant when challenged on the church's position of remaining silent about any residential school abuse.

"A publicly staged media event would only re-victimize the victim," he said.

Having publicly grappled with the issue of residential schools since 1990, the Bishops Advisory Committee has said enough. It is now trumpeting its own new initiative, but will continue in the old form of handling such matters internally.

Fred Shore, professor of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, believes

the Catholic Church cannot afford to publicly deal with the issue of abuse in residential schools. In terms of reputation, personnel and money, they simply have too much to lose, Shore said.

"The way the church usually does things is they take care of their own," he said. "So, if there's a problem with a priest or someone, it's like any big institution. They will reach in and deal with that problem internally."

But while the Catholic Church is trying to control the fallout and disappear into a "global context," Manitoba Chiefs are insisting that the issue of residential schools be dealt with head-on.

According to Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, First Nations must deal with their past so they can better deal with their future.

"The issue here is the empowerment of people. And in the healing process that's what we're talking about," he said. "The healing of people requires people to come to grips with a problem. In this case, it has to do with the residential schools."

"The abuse that took place, took place in schools that were run by the Catholic Church as well as others. It's absurd to suggest that they can't be held accountable or that they're not responsible," he said. "Because if they're not, then who? Ourselves? We're victims. If you have a victim there's a victimizer.

"When people speak out it'll become very, very clear that there's someone that's responsible and that there's someone that ought to be held accountable. And that's all of the churches, including the Catholic Church, and government."

For Manitoba chiefs as well as First Nation communities across Canada, residential schools must never be forgotten, Fontaine said. While there was an historical context, there were also adults entrusted with the care, education and well-being of Indian children.

"This experience must become part of the public record so that others know what happened to our people - what was done to our people," Fontaine said. "This particular experience must never leave the memory of our people of the memories of others."