These are great letters, particularly that of Bill Wynn. Every Canadian, Indigenous and not, should call for the proof of genocide and an inquiry into it, if that is proven. Otherwise we will remain in this oppressor/oppressed narrative forever, and that's good for no one.
Bill Wynn writes: “The degree of half truths, myths and other delusions fabricated about radar images discovered in old graveyards throughout Canada for three years now have reached the absurd. To date there is not a shred of forensic evidence of an Indian school child genocide.”
Yet all federal MPs passed a motion October 27, 2022 to call residential schools a genocide. Not a single one of them showed any moral backbone.
Today in the Globe and Mail the story read "No Timeline on Residential School Excavation, Chief Says." Apparently, the Kamloops First Nation is "working with survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School to catalogue their oral history of their time there." Catholic Archbishop Michael Miller, who will attend a formal ceremony for a "sacred covenant" agreement on Sunday between the First Nation and the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, said "Of course we do not back up or support those who deny the tragic events in Kamloops and at residential schools. There's no question that this was a tragedy in the past and those who claim that it wasn't I think are certainly misplaced in their judgement." He doesn't specify exactly what tragic events he's referring to, which is interesting. Oral History right now seems to be the standard for evidence in this matter, because of the a priori genocide narrative that is now deep within the psyches of Canadians, although in a number of cases such as at Pine Creek First Nation the oral history did not match with the forensic evidence. Ironically, the Kamloops Chief has called oral history "Truth Telling." It seems backwards to first document the oral history, before the forensic evidence is uncovered. Books like Grave Error are important in keeping track of the fact based, forensic and documented evidence, which currently is perceived as "residential school denial." This is quite an Orwellian term, when used this way, because evidence based conclusions... such as that which would come from excavating the apple orchard ... are the exact opposite of denial.
Oral history has been a "thing" since the 1997 Delgamuukw case, which was the first case where oral history was accepted as evidence, even though Judge McEachern dismissed it as unreliable. That case spawned an industry, including Miller's book "Oral History on Trial: recognizing aborioginal narratives in the courts" released 2012. Today oral history is a given part of legal evidence. without oral history claimants really cannot win any land claim cases or aboriginal rights cases. So we only have ourselves, and the justice system, to blame for establishing this precedent of oral history being a socially and legally accepted form of historical documentation. Of course, the problem that still remains and that is arguably exacerbated by this legal acceptance (and even more complete problematic, complete social acceptance) is humans are humans and people lie for various reasons, intentionally or unintentionally. Given that we have decided that oral history is the de facto standard and is to be accepted in all instances and we do not dare to question, how do we now replace that narratives with the facts. The facts are anathema to natives and their allies. Facts don't matter.
Did you see the 60+ comments on the Globe & Mail's article, Jack? I think they're hiding behind the skirts of the narrative and letting their readers do the dangerous reporting for them.
I submitted a "report factual error" statement at the bottom of that article. I said,
<< Why does the G&M still insist on modifying Dr. Sarah Beaulieu’s stated 200 GPR hits (ground anomalies) to read “potential remains of more than 200 children”? Why “more than”? Why “remains” (given that Beaulieu herself stated that we can’t know without excavating what the anomalies represent)? It seems that the G&M is so reluctant to let go of “the 215” that its editors just can’t help themselves! That firm 200 is almost always reported as “more than 200" or "about 200." I URGE the editors and reporters of the G&M to read all 60 comments on this article and take them to heart. Start asking hard questions of chiefs like Casimir, such as "why can't forensic excavations start even WHILE oral histories of survivors are being gathered"? >>
Quesnel....what a beautiful little town in a magnificently beautiful part of Canada. I was only there once and found all the people to be friendly and helpful. It is a crime that this Residential School 'mass graves' issue is causing so much trouble. I blame Trudeau and his government for most of it. When this story broke the first thing any responsible prime minister should have done was use the RCMP to inquire into all aspects of the matter. Marc Miller compounded the issue by taking a 'hands off' approach to everything. The last straw was the 'House' voting to declare the nation genocidal. None of it is objective and fact-based; Nina Green's mountain of evidence proving the whole thing to be a terrible hoax has been largely ignored just like the Quesnel council is doing. And the rejection of the 'Grave Error' book takes us back to the book-burning days. Sadly we are becoming a badly divided nation and nothing divides people more than a focus on things like race,religion,politics,language,wealth disparities, etc. Our Reserve system acts as a great divider. Even Champlain realized that back in the 1600s and rejected any idea of a two-nation relationship with the Indians. We are living in strange times and we need some new ,wise people to help us implement a new vision for all people who share this great country.
Miller is a nut job. He's the ultimate "settler ally." Well, him and "settler historian" Carleton. Miller's tweets about any questioning of the Kamloops farce are not those of a rational man. I assume what you mean by a 'hands off' approach is everyone else get your hands off, because Miller's approach was anything but hands off. Why did the RCMP conduct no investigation? Did someone stop it? Did they do an investigation and determined there was no basis for the allegations but were told not to say that publicly? In the Kamloops case, the quick adoption of UNDRIP into regulation as BCDRIPA occurred pretty soon after the graves hoax. Are those two things connected somehow? Was the grave hoax used as leverage to get MLAs to vote in favour of BCDRIPA? The BC government is besotted with "reconciliation," regardless of its effects on the BC populace as a whole (who are rapidly becoming second class citizens -- "subhuman" as one chief calls us). In my job at the periphery of the legal profession I hear first-hand Provincial court witnesses spouting the "reconciliation" narrative. It's powerful kool-aid. Do they really all believe this or is just to keep their jobs or what?
Dear Hillbilly Functional Illiterates of Quesnel B.C.
Please brand Pat Morton with the scarlet red letter, "R", standing for Residential School Denier and place her in a large burlap sack. Tie securely. Then throw her into the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers. If she sinks, then she is truly a residential school denier. However, if she floats, then she is a residential school denying witch! So, then, you must haul the witch out of the river and burn her at the stake!
Alternatively, you could read the book she is distributing and realize you've been defrauded because you are hillbilly rubes that any First Nations Lawyer, like Wilton Littlechild (Member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission), with a good residential school education (12 years for Willy), can fool any day of the week, with the literacy skills he learned at that Residential School, better than the school from which you did not learn anything --- except functional illiteracy.
Kevin James “Counting Coup” Byrne
DETAILS: Kevin James Byrne; Calgary Alberta; phone 403 - 243 - 9581 [endquote]
I will bet anyone on this list 1 dollar that they do not publish the above letter sent on March 29, 2024.
Joan! You're not listening closely. I made a bet above. If they publish my letter I will be more quiet than Murray Sinclair in a (non)-debate between Sinclair and James McCrae, although no one has taken me up on such a bet. If they publish, I lose money. Ergo, I will not advertise such a remote possibility if it happens. I'll keep my pop "corked".
<< . . . after Pat Morton, the wife of the city’s current Mayor, had lent a copy of the book . . . >>
Early reports suggested she was "circulating copies" (plural) of the book. A number was never mentioned, but I figured it was possible that Pat Morton had bought two or three copies so she could lend a couple to others. Are you saying, James, that she lent A copy of the book to someone, and it made it's way around . . . and THAT'S what this is all about? Lending a book? OWNING a book?
it sounded like she had bought a passle of books and was handing them out willy nilly, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It also appears that no one except probably Ms. Morton read the book.
I just received my copy of "Grave Error" and am eagerly looking forward to reading it. Regardless of my thoughts after reading, one of the ways to defend "Grave Error", or rather, to defend our right to read books, is by purchasing as many copies as possible and sharing them widely. These are dedicated Canadians endeavoring to protect our country, going to great lengths to do so. They need all the support they can get.
These are great letters, particularly that of Bill Wynn. Every Canadian, Indigenous and not, should call for the proof of genocide and an inquiry into it, if that is proven. Otherwise we will remain in this oppressor/oppressed narrative forever, and that's good for no one.
Bill Wynn writes: “The degree of half truths, myths and other delusions fabricated about radar images discovered in old graveyards throughout Canada for three years now have reached the absurd. To date there is not a shred of forensic evidence of an Indian school child genocide.”
Yet all federal MPs passed a motion October 27, 2022 to call residential schools a genocide. Not a single one of them showed any moral backbone.
shameful.
Today in the Globe and Mail the story read "No Timeline on Residential School Excavation, Chief Says." Apparently, the Kamloops First Nation is "working with survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School to catalogue their oral history of their time there." Catholic Archbishop Michael Miller, who will attend a formal ceremony for a "sacred covenant" agreement on Sunday between the First Nation and the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, said "Of course we do not back up or support those who deny the tragic events in Kamloops and at residential schools. There's no question that this was a tragedy in the past and those who claim that it wasn't I think are certainly misplaced in their judgement." He doesn't specify exactly what tragic events he's referring to, which is interesting. Oral History right now seems to be the standard for evidence in this matter, because of the a priori genocide narrative that is now deep within the psyches of Canadians, although in a number of cases such as at Pine Creek First Nation the oral history did not match with the forensic evidence. Ironically, the Kamloops Chief has called oral history "Truth Telling." It seems backwards to first document the oral history, before the forensic evidence is uncovered. Books like Grave Error are important in keeping track of the fact based, forensic and documented evidence, which currently is perceived as "residential school denial." This is quite an Orwellian term, when used this way, because evidence based conclusions... such as that which would come from excavating the apple orchard ... are the exact opposite of denial.
Oral history has been a "thing" since the 1997 Delgamuukw case, which was the first case where oral history was accepted as evidence, even though Judge McEachern dismissed it as unreliable. That case spawned an industry, including Miller's book "Oral History on Trial: recognizing aborioginal narratives in the courts" released 2012. Today oral history is a given part of legal evidence. without oral history claimants really cannot win any land claim cases or aboriginal rights cases. So we only have ourselves, and the justice system, to blame for establishing this precedent of oral history being a socially and legally accepted form of historical documentation. Of course, the problem that still remains and that is arguably exacerbated by this legal acceptance (and even more complete problematic, complete social acceptance) is humans are humans and people lie for various reasons, intentionally or unintentionally. Given that we have decided that oral history is the de facto standard and is to be accepted in all instances and we do not dare to question, how do we now replace that narratives with the facts. The facts are anathema to natives and their allies. Facts don't matter.
and this shit is spiralling out of control and we all gonna be sorry we didn't do more.
Did you see the 60+ comments on the Globe & Mail's article, Jack? I think they're hiding behind the skirts of the narrative and letting their readers do the dangerous reporting for them.
I submitted a "report factual error" statement at the bottom of that article. I said,
<< Why does the G&M still insist on modifying Dr. Sarah Beaulieu’s stated 200 GPR hits (ground anomalies) to read “potential remains of more than 200 children”? Why “more than”? Why “remains” (given that Beaulieu herself stated that we can’t know without excavating what the anomalies represent)? It seems that the G&M is so reluctant to let go of “the 215” that its editors just can’t help themselves! That firm 200 is almost always reported as “more than 200" or "about 200." I URGE the editors and reporters of the G&M to read all 60 comments on this article and take them to heart. Start asking hard questions of chiefs like Casimir, such as "why can't forensic excavations start even WHILE oral histories of survivors are being gathered"? >>
can you post a link to the article, Joan?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-tkemlups-te-secwepemc-says-decision-on-whether-to-excavate-unmarked/ Mar. 28, 2024. Could be paywalled (in which case, if you're not a subscriber, I'm not sure if you can read the comments; I hope you can, as there are some good ones; up to 113 now -- there were only about 60 this morning). I'm not sure how long I'm going to remain a subscriber to G&M.
it is paywalled. hm. i'll think about subscription.
Quesnel....what a beautiful little town in a magnificently beautiful part of Canada. I was only there once and found all the people to be friendly and helpful. It is a crime that this Residential School 'mass graves' issue is causing so much trouble. I blame Trudeau and his government for most of it. When this story broke the first thing any responsible prime minister should have done was use the RCMP to inquire into all aspects of the matter. Marc Miller compounded the issue by taking a 'hands off' approach to everything. The last straw was the 'House' voting to declare the nation genocidal. None of it is objective and fact-based; Nina Green's mountain of evidence proving the whole thing to be a terrible hoax has been largely ignored just like the Quesnel council is doing. And the rejection of the 'Grave Error' book takes us back to the book-burning days. Sadly we are becoming a badly divided nation and nothing divides people more than a focus on things like race,religion,politics,language,wealth disparities, etc. Our Reserve system acts as a great divider. Even Champlain realized that back in the 1600s and rejected any idea of a two-nation relationship with the Indians. We are living in strange times and we need some new ,wise people to help us implement a new vision for all people who share this great country.
Miller is a nut job. He's the ultimate "settler ally." Well, him and "settler historian" Carleton. Miller's tweets about any questioning of the Kamloops farce are not those of a rational man. I assume what you mean by a 'hands off' approach is everyone else get your hands off, because Miller's approach was anything but hands off. Why did the RCMP conduct no investigation? Did someone stop it? Did they do an investigation and determined there was no basis for the allegations but were told not to say that publicly? In the Kamloops case, the quick adoption of UNDRIP into regulation as BCDRIPA occurred pretty soon after the graves hoax. Are those two things connected somehow? Was the grave hoax used as leverage to get MLAs to vote in favour of BCDRIPA? The BC government is besotted with "reconciliation," regardless of its effects on the BC populace as a whole (who are rapidly becoming second class citizens -- "subhuman" as one chief calls us). In my job at the periphery of the legal profession I hear first-hand Provincial court witnesses spouting the "reconciliation" narrative. It's powerful kool-aid. Do they really all believe this or is just to keep their jobs or what?
Great letters
Below is the letter that I sent to the editor of the Quesnel Observer
From:
elenchuskb@yahoo.ca
To:
editor@quesnelobserver.com
Cc:
Frances Widdowson
Dear Hillbilly Functional Illiterates of Quesnel B.C.
Please brand Pat Morton with the scarlet red letter, "R", standing for Residential School Denier and place her in a large burlap sack. Tie securely. Then throw her into the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers. If she sinks, then she is truly a residential school denier. However, if she floats, then she is a residential school denying witch! So, then, you must haul the witch out of the river and burn her at the stake!
Alternatively, you could read the book she is distributing and realize you've been defrauded because you are hillbilly rubes that any First Nations Lawyer, like Wilton Littlechild (Member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission), with a good residential school education (12 years for Willy), can fool any day of the week, with the literacy skills he learned at that Residential School, better than the school from which you did not learn anything --- except functional illiteracy.
Kevin James “Counting Coup” Byrne
DETAILS: Kevin James Byrne; Calgary Alberta; phone 403 - 243 - 9581 [endquote]
I will bet anyone on this list 1 dollar that they do not publish the above letter sent on March 29, 2024.
"Counting Coup" Byrne
Counting on you, Counting Coup. Do let us know if they publish your letter. I'll certainly pop a cork if they do.
Joan! You're not listening closely. I made a bet above. If they publish my letter I will be more quiet than Murray Sinclair in a (non)-debate between Sinclair and James McCrae, although no one has taken me up on such a bet. If they publish, I lose money. Ergo, I will not advertise such a remote possibility if it happens. I'll keep my pop "corked".
"Coup" to you too!
I reserve the right to celebrate even if it means you're going to lose money.
<< . . . after Pat Morton, the wife of the city’s current Mayor, had lent a copy of the book . . . >>
Early reports suggested she was "circulating copies" (plural) of the book. A number was never mentioned, but I figured it was possible that Pat Morton had bought two or three copies so she could lend a couple to others. Are you saying, James, that she lent A copy of the book to someone, and it made it's way around . . . and THAT'S what this is all about? Lending a book? OWNING a book?
I think I'm in trouble.
it sounded like she had bought a passle of books and was handing them out willy nilly, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It also appears that no one except probably Ms. Morton read the book.
I just received my copy of "Grave Error" and am eagerly looking forward to reading it. Regardless of my thoughts after reading, one of the ways to defend "Grave Error", or rather, to defend our right to read books, is by purchasing as many copies as possible and sharing them widely. These are dedicated Canadians endeavoring to protect our country, going to great lengths to do so. They need all the support they can get.