Two Catholic churches burn to ground on First Nations' land

[Floyd R. Turbo]

Two Catholic churches on Indigenous land in the southern Okanagan were destroyed by fire early Monday, as shock waves continue from the discovery of 215 unidentified graves near the old Kamloops Indian Residential School.

According to Penticton South Okanagan RCMP spokesman Sgt. Jason Bayda, an officer on patrol spotted fire coming from the Sacred Heart Church on Penticton Indian Band land at around 1:20 a.m.

Penticton Fire and Rescue were called and arrived to find the church fully engulfed in flames.

Bayda said that less than two hours later — at 3:10 a.m. — Oliver RCMP and the Oliver Fire Department were notified that St. Gregory’s Church on Osoyoos Indian Band land was ablaze.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/two-catholic-churches-burn-to-ground-on-first-nations-land-overnight

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Wow, just wow.

“Chief Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band said the Sacred Heart Church was a community fixture that hosted weddings and funerals but many people also feel pain due to the Roman Catholic Church’s role operating abusive residential schools.

“There’s a lot of anger, a lot of hurt in every First Nations, Indigenous community throughout Canada,” he said, adding that he was not speculating on the cause of the fire.“

[EYESORE 9001]

2. ' The Penticton Indian Band is also asking...'

‘…that band members not be approached to ask how they felt about the fires.’

It’s enough to make you think there might be some bad feelings there.

An institution doing its damndest to erase your culture can have that effect on people.

[Cinnamonspice]

10. Okay fine, but what if it was a mosque?

Pain has also been inflicted on this country by people who profess Islam. September 11th, people who did not come home from war, ISIS (even reading about it from afar).

But still, when I pass by a mosque, I mind my own business. I even came and spoke to an Iman once to learn more about their faith. I have Muslim friends.

More importantly, some Native Americans want to be Christians. We can argue culture all we want to, but isn't it their right to choose?

[EYESORE 9001]

12. Indigenous health leaders want an apology and action from Canada's Catholic Church

on residential schools. Here’s their open letter:

(snip)

… we have seen a legacy of medical violence against Indigenous peoples carried out in church-run Indian Hospitals. These hospitals were designed for segregation and were rife with medical abuse, from surgical experimentation to forced sterilization. Structural racism in healthcare is an ongoing legacy of these systems.

Indian residential schools and Indian Hospitals, often run by the Catholic Church, have caused immeasurable harm to our peoples and continues to impact our health, well-being and life expectancy in Canada.

More…

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/06/15/indigenous-health-leaders-are-demanding-an-apology-and-action-from-canadas-catholic-church-on-residential-schools-heres-their-open-letter.html

Enough with what-aboutism.

[msfiddlestix]

15. religion: the source of hate for others, bigotry and misogyny..

In this country we are free to choose which ever cult and cult leader we want. Unfortunately, it is exactly what leads to harm for everyone else that doesn't accept or believe in cults, their leaders, their edicts and their laws.

[fishwax]

19. welcome to DU, Cinnamonspice! But that is a very bad comparison.

Pain has also been inflicted on this country by people who profess Islam. September 11th, people who did not come home from war, ISIS (even reading about it from afar).

But still, when I pass by a mosque, I mind my own business. I even came and spoke to an Iman once to learn more about their faith. I have Muslim friends.

The odds that the mosque you're passing by has anything to do with any of those things is probably so close to zero as to be statistically indistinguishable.

Catholic parishes on First Nations lands, on the other hand, carried out their abuses in line with church policy and in collaboration with an occupying colonial government.

[panader0]

3. Karma

[malaise]

4. That simple

Not one teardrop here

[mopinko]

6. same.

as long as no one gets hurt, good.

[Hortensis]

5. Mixed feelings, no doubt, but their memories of the 110 years

the Sacred Heart church was part of the Penticton community would be mostly about themselves, their families, their people.

In looking for more on this, I also found the Outma Squilx'w Cultural School located on the Penticton (SnPink’tn) land, 80 students out of a population of 500+ on the reserve, academics plus the native language and culture. Architecture meant to be evocative of Okanagan culture in a very modern way and an extremely impressive school.

[onecaliberal]

7. Tots and pears.

[roamer65]

8. Oh well.

Shit happens.

Probably bad electrical wiring.

[Cinnamonspice]

9. That is just totally disgusting.

[Spazito]

11. More disgusting than the abuse indigenous families suffered for generations...

at the hands of the Catholic church? The symbols of that abuse, the two churches, were on land owned by the Penticton Indian Band and the Osoyoos Indian Band whose children were ripped from their arms over generations. The Catholic church built churches on their land to destroy their culture, their language, their beliefs. That is what is disgusting.

It was a long time coming, imo.

[Bayard]

14. Karma's a bitch.

[Brother Buzz]

16. Pueblo Rebellion redux?

[wnylib]

20. Yup! People do tend to rebel

against torture and genocide.

[Brother Buzz]

21. That, for sure, but the systematic eradication of their culture was the catalyst

[wnylib]

22. And yet many traditions, cultures,

and customs survive. Even some languages remain and others are being revitalized. A testimony to resilience and strength.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

17. Gee, that's too bad.

Grew up across the border, a bit southwest of there. Had a lot of First Nations friends from the area. Used to gig at the old Rialto Hotel in Osoyoos, way back in the day.

Catholic Church fucked up a lot of folk's lives. They did some damage to me, but I got out real early on

[Solly Mack]

18. Repeated and targeted abuse creates a lot of anger.

Pretending it didn't happen or that it no longer matters because it was long ago is the fool's way of looking at past abuses and injustices by those in power.

Systemic abuses and injustices will always matter because it was/is a system created from injustices to perpetuate even more injustices.

That kind of abuse builds up.

It also builds up a lot of hurt, resentment, and anger.

Saying "I'm sorry" ain't no fucking cure all.

Most times it doesn't even make a dent.

Especially not with systemic abuse and discrimination.

[Duppers]

24. Totally agree with you.

They need major public apologies, a huge financial settlement, and land deeded to them. That'd only be a start.

[Chainfire]

23. Do you think that someone is trying to tell the church something?