Spent a number of years in a far north community populated largely by First Nations people. We called them Indians back then and I also have roots in these communities. The rates of alcoholism, child neglect, incest and child death were very high. Kids would be left to wait outside bars in 50 degree below weather. These residential schools saved many more lives than they took.
My grandparents took in a couple of Indians girls to foster. Their baby sister was electrocuted when the mother set her on a hot plate to change the diaper.
Thank you for helping to turn around the idea that two to three kids a year for 85 years, relative to what goes on routinely in First Nation Villages even today (in terms of deaths), is by itself an indictment of the Christian effort to help these kids for those 85 years. To be certain, it IS an indictment against the horrible news media in this country.
I’ve been in many of these villages and the one over whelming feeling is to “get out” and “never come back”. That’s how bad they are.