Quesnel city council condemns controversial residential school book distributed by mayor's wife

Quesnel's city council voted unanimously to denounce a book theLhtako DeneNation says downplays the harms of residential schools,after the First Nation and councillors raised concernsthe mayor's wife was distributing it to residents in the city about 630 kilometres north of Vancouver.

Several copies of Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth about Residential Schools)by C.P. Champion and Tom Flanagan havebeen circulated by Pat Morton, Mayor Ron Paull's wife, city council members said in ameeting on Tuesday,after receiving a letter of concern about the issue from the First Nation.

Morton did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBC News.

TheLhtako DeneNation saidstatements in the booklike "the truth has been turned into a casualty"deny the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by "implying that cultural genocide did not occur" in the residential school system.

"It just rips your stomach out," the First Nation's administratorMaynard Barasaid on Wednesday. "It's just absolute bigotry and hatred."

Paull voted with the rest of the councilto denounce Grave Errorand to accept the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionon Tuesday night.

WATCH | Quesnel councillor says book distribution is disturbing:

Mtis councillor says mayor's wife gave his mother 'traumatizing' book downplaying residential-school impact

5 months ago

Duration 2:30

Coun. Tony Goulet, whose father survived a residential school, says it was 'very, very, very traumatizing' to read a copy of Grave Error given to his mother by Pat Morton, the wife of the mayor of Quesnel, B.C. Council, including Mayor Ron Paull, voted unanimously to denounce the book.

A motion to reaffirm the city's memorandum of understanding (MOU), which formalizes a collaborative relationshipwith the Lhtako Dene First Nation, was also approved unanimously. In addition, council accepted an invitation to visit the First Nation'slonghouse to hear from Elders and residential school survivors.

In a social media post Tuesday night, Morton said that as the mayor's wife, she cares about truth andthat there should be room for the "good stories" about residential schools.

Paull said in Tuesday's council meeting that he had not read the book. When pressed by Coun. Scott Elliott, Paull said he did not support his wife's actions and that he doesn't always agree with her.

"You'd love to be a fly on the wall," he said in a Wednesday interview with CBC. "We get talking about things like First Nations, residential schools, COVID and Donald Trump, but at the end of the day, we're best friends."

The book is 'very hurtful'

The First Nation said many of its members survived residential schools and continue to deal with its traumatic effects.

"The book adds to that hurt," Baraand other Lhtako Deneleaders wrote ina letter datedMarch 19to Paull and the council.

The book also contests findings of evidence of unmarked graves at several residential schoolsacross Canada in recent years.

"The calling into question of what our nation went through is a slap in our people's collective faces and it is very hurtful to them," they said in the letter.

WATCH | The full council discussion surrounding Grave Errorbook:

Quesnel council votes to denounce book distributed by mayor's wife

5 months ago

Duration 22:41

A book that questions and minimizes the harms of residential schools has been distributed by the wife of the mayor of Quesnel, B.C. After receiving a letter of concern from the Lhtako Dene Nation, the entire council, including the mayor, voted to denounce the publication.

Coun. Tony Goulet, who is Mtisand whose father is a residential school survivor, said Morton gave a copy of the book to his mother.

"It's very, very, very traumatizing, it's very, very, very disrespectful to an Indigenous community and especially [an individual] to receive this book," Goulet said in an emotional statement to city council.

"And especially with my dad going through residential school [Morton] brought up a lot of stuff."

The book was also mailedto the Quesnel Board of Education, whichdenounced itin a Thursday news release.

A picture of the First Nation's letter posted on social media by Elliott Tuesday evening has drawn more than 200 comments from community members, the vast majority of whom disagreed with Morton's actions.

Tuesday's motion isthe second time city council has had to restate its commitment to the MOU due to Morton's actions, Coun. Laury-Anne Roodenburg said during the meeting.

Social media comments by Morton about the "good sides"of residential schools prompted the Lhtako Deneto write to Paull and city council on Nov. 1, 2022 shortly after he was elected, Roodenburg told CBC on Wednesday.

Denialismis "the last step in genocide," according to Canada's independent special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves associated with residential schools.

"Denialism is violence. Denialism is calculated. Denialism is harmful. Denialism is hate," Kimberly Murray said last June.

On Wednesday, an interim report from an international group hired to provide advice on identifying and locating the unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools saidCanada should continue funding searches beyond 2025.

The report from the International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, also recommendedOttawa ratify the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools across Canada.

A national movement to find and commemorate unmarked graves began after ground-penetrating radar detected possible remains at the former Kamloops Residential School in 2021.

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools or by the latest reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Mental health counselling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat atwww.hopeforwellness.ca.