Aug. 1, 2022
Toronto Star – Allan Woods
‘A deep hole’ — Murray Sinclair, Romeo Saganash harshly criticize Pope’s apology – Francis didn’t acknowledge Catholic Church’s leading role in residential schools, says senator who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The assessment of the Pope’s visit and apology to this point (July 28) is by the chair of the Reconciliation Commission Murray Sinclair. He is suggesting that there has been a significant missed opportunity. “Despite the historic apology, the Holy Father’s statement has left a deep hole in the acknowledgment of the full role of the church in the residential school system by placing blame on individual members of the church,” Sinclair wrote.” A second Indigenous assessment from Romeo Saganash, the former New Democrat MP who is a Cree from northern Quebec, and whose brother John Saganash died as a six year old child in a residential school: “…there were no records or acknowledgment, and it took a chance encounter 40 years later before the family learned where he was buried.” https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/07/26/pope-franciss-apology-fails-to-meet-truth-and-reconciliation-call-to-action-sinclair.html Related article: BC Tyee / The Conversation – Lori Campbell – ‘Horrifying at Worst and an Insult at Best’ I survived the ’60s Scoop. Here’s why the Pope’s apology isn’t an apology at all. https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/07/27/Horrifying-At-Worst-Insult-At-Best/ Related article: CBC News – Émilie Warren Women holding cradleboards asked to leave meeting with Pope Francis https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cradleboards-residential-school-children-unmarked-graves-meeting-pope-francis-1.6536527 Related article: National Post – Jessica Mundie The Doctrine of Discovery explained and what would happen if the Pope revoked it – The idea that Europeans could claim land not belonging to them, which is inherent in the Doctrine of Discovery, paved the way for the Indian Act and residential schools https://nationalpost.com/news/doctrine-of-discovery Related article: Toronto Star – Alan Woods A Pope come and gone, an apology made — and the reality of reconciliation laid bare – With so much reluctance and so many parsed words, so much pain and so little punishment, how do Canada and Indigenous Peoples move toward healing? https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/analysis/2022/07/30/a-pope-come-and-gone-an-apology-made-and-the-reality-of-reconciliation-laid-bare.html
Papal texts in Canada:
Maskwacis, AB National Post / Canadian Press Read the full text of Pope Francis’ apology to residential school survivors ‘I was given two pairs of moccasins as a sign of the suffering endured by Indigenous children… I was asked to return the moccasins when I came to Canada’ https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/deplorable-evil-full-text-of-the-popes-residential-school-apology
Francis on departure: Pope Francis’ In-flight Press Conference from Canada: Full Text https://www.aciafrica.org/news/6385/pope-francis-in-flight-press-conference-from-canada-full-text
Toronto Star – Editorial Board (July 28) Work of reconciliation begins now
Homeless Hub Webinar:
Youth Harm Reduction Practices
Threshold Housing Society, Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab
In this webinar recording, people with lived experience and researchers discuss youth harm reduction practices. They explain how harm reduction can reduce the risks and harmful effects of substance use for the individual and society as a whole, as well as the role of harm reduction in housing stabilization for youth. https://homelessnesslearninghub.ca/library/resources/youth-harm-reduction/ (2 hour Youtube video) Related tweet: Jude Oudshoorn on homelessness: “Homelessness is a policy choice, not an individual one. We have the resources to end it, yet we have chosen to allow for a social structure that leaves people behind. We then demonize individuals rather than take responsibility for our failure to act collectively with compassion. https://twitter.com/judahoudshoorn/status/1550106466656436225?s=03
Lawyer’s Daily – John Hill
Do child sex-offence cases warrant harsher scrutiny?
Hill acknowledges that child sex offenders are, in the hierarchy of incarcerated persons, the worst and that the “con code’ allows, even encourages, violence towards them. Hill then examines the issue of entrapment where no actual contact takes place. The police set a trap on the internet and charged Robert Stack with internet child luring. Stack received a two year sentence and appealed. Hill explores the results of the appeal. https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/criminal/articles/38087/do-child-sex-offence-cases-warrant-harsher-scrutiny-?nl_pk=40ed8ea4-637a-4d76-870f-04f0eeae7de8&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=criminal
The Intercept – Akela Lacy
Federal Prison Officials Knew of Misconduct, Corruption, and Abuse, Senate Investigation Finds – Sen. Jon Ossoff is the first Democrat to subpoena a member of the Biden administration, BOP Director Michael Carvajal, over reports of neglected and frequent suicides.
The allegations of corruption and abuse of the incarcerated have been surfacing at the Atlanta Federal prison for some time but now with a bipartisan committee investigation the disturbing evidence is likely applicable to most federal prison and the committee has subpoenaed an official from the Bureau of Prisons to answer the allegations. Unfortunately, Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal answered the committee’s questions with evasion and by blaming subordinates. “Carvajal, a 30-year BOP (Bureau of Prisons) veteran who has led the bureau since February 2020, announced in January that he would resign amid reports of corruption and abuse at BOP facilities around the country, in addition to complaints over the bureau’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. On July 12, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Colette Peters, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, would take over as BOP director. Peters will be sworn in on August 2.” https://theintercept.com/2022/07/26/atlanta-prison-suicide-senate-investigation/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter Related article: Human Rights Watch How Massacres Unfold in Ecuador’s Prisons https://view.takeaction.hrw.org/?qs=4c66f236215ebcba64353ec59cf7d687f8988d9131eefdd6955afed474e7640b19b9d449842407d9a2cb8c8ddb7853e5802283471e6b5f49a96607543b2586923166d06fa0c7ae79