Dozens of churches are vandalized and torched in Canada after hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at sites of former residential schools for I

[Nan Yang]

Dozens of churches are vandalized and torched in Canada after hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at sites of former residential schools for Indigenous children run by the Catholic church

• Dozens of Christian churches on Indigenous lands in Canada have been torched or vandalized since June
• Countersignal.com estimates there have been about 45 acts of arson or vandalism to Canadian Christian churches or places of worship since June
• The attacks came after the discovery of 1,000 graves of indigenous children near residential schools - many of which were run by the Catholic Church
• These institutions were part of an abusive system that the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission called 'cultural genocide' in 2015
• No arrests have been made, although several churches in Canada are completely burned down
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said the pope will meet separately at the Vatican with the Canada’s three biggest Indigenous groups in December

By CHRISTOPHER EBERHART FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 01:01 EDT, 15 July 2021 | UPDATED: 10:32 EDT, 15 July 2021

Dozens of Christian churches on indigenous lands in Canada have been torched and vandalized since unmarked graves of indigenous children near First Nation boarding schools were first discovered at the end of May.

Since then, more than 1,000 graves have been found near Native American boarding schools - many of which were run by the Catholic Church and were part of an abusive system that the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission called 'cultural genocide' in 2015.

After the graves were found, about 12 churches were burned throughout the country between June 21 and July 9.

Most of the fires were set near the town of Penticton, British Columbia - about 40 miles north of Washington state - the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in multiple statements.

It is estimated that there have been about 45 acts of arson or vandalism to Canadian Christian churches or places of worship since June.

The RCMP said they're investigating all of the blazes at Catholic churches in Canada as 'suspicious' and looking to see if they're connected.

The fires started after the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found in late May on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

On June 24, the Cowessess First Nation said it had discovered the unmarked graves of an estimated 751 people near the site of the former Catholic-run Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.

On June 30, the Lower Kootenay Band said the aq'am First Nation discovered the remains of about 182 people near the site of the former Catholic-run St. Eugene's Mission School near Cranbrook, British Columbia.

The discoveries coincided with the rash of church burnings, although police haven't definitively connected the two.

On June 21, the Sacred Heart Church on Penticton Indian Band land and St. Gregory's Catholic Church on the Osoyoos Indian Band land, which are 25 miles apart, burned down within two hours of each other, according to the RCMP.

Five days later, St. Ann's Catholic Church on Upper Similkameen Indian Band land and the Chopaka Catholic Church on Lower Similkameen Indian Band land were torched within two hours of each other.

The same night, the century-old abandoned St. Paul's Anglican Church on Gitwangak First Nations land was set on fire, but the damage was minimal, according to the RCMP.

On June 28 and June 30, a Catholic church on Siksika First Nation land near Calgary was set ablaze and the St. Jean Baptiste Parish Church in Morinville, Alberta, burned to the ground, the RCMP said.

The blazes at Catholic churches continued in early July, including two on July 1, one on July 2 and one on July 4.

The July 2 blaze brought down the St. Columba Anglican Church in Tofino, British Columbia, which RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manseau said in a statement is a church that's been in the community for over 100 years and 'is of significant historical importance.'

 

[Nan Yang]

'Investigators are aware of the recent church fires occurring around the province, and will share information with them to determine if there is a link, however at this time there is nothing indicating so,' he said.

The RCMP are investigating two more fires at Catholic churches in Canada as 'suspicious,' after four churches on tribal lands burned down within one week.

There were multiple acts of vandalism and a small fire to a church in Alberta on July 9. A youth, whose age and name weren't released, was arrested, police said.

That's been the only arrest made in connection with any of the fires or vandalism that's plagued Canadian churches over the last month.

Countersignal.com estimates there have been about 45 acts of arson or vandalism to Canadian Christian churches or places of worship since June.

Following the the discoveries of the graves, Preston McBride, a Dartmouth College scholar, predicts as 40,000 native children may have died from poor care at government-run boarding schools.

Earlier this month, a violent mob celebrated 'tearing this b**ch down' as they toppled and desecrated statues of Britain's Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II during Canada protests sparked by the discovery of mass graves of Indigenous schoolchildren.

The bronze sculptures of Britain's current monarch and her great-great grandmother in Winnipeg were hauled down, daubed with red paint and even appeared to have been strangled with Mohawk flags on July 1.

With no police to be seen anywhere, protesters in orange led by members of the left-wing anti-colonial 'Idle No More' group campaigning for Canada Day to be cancelled, tied ropes to the necks of the statues and ripped them to the ground to chants of 'no to genocide' and 'bring her down' amid fury over the deaths of 1,000 Indigenous children found buried in mass graves this month.

Sharing footage of Victoria's statue coming down, self-styled 'Land Defender' Waabishkaa Ma'iingan Naakshig, tweeted: 'I helped tear the b**ch down'.

The statue was then covered in red paint with a message that read 'we were children once. Bring them home'.

A smaller statue of Elizabeth was also toppled in the same area, with protesters insisting both royals are the face of Canada's colonial history.

Some 1,500 miles west, a statue of Captain James Cook - the first Briton to land in British Columbia - was also pulled down in the capital city of Victoria before being hurled into the harbor in scenes reminiscent of the destruction of the Edward Colston statue last year in Bristol. Cook's statue was replaced by a red wooden dress - a colour and symbol for Indigenous people in Canada with the plinth vandalised with 'colonizer'.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the toppling of statues of the Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II in Canada.

Mr Johnson's spokesman said: 'We obviously condemn any defacing of statues of the Queen', adding: 'Our thoughts are with Canada's Indigenous community following these tragic discoveries and we follow these issues closely and continue to engage with the government of Canada with Indigenous matters.'

The attacks have been spearheaded by Idle No More, a left-wing organization that describes itself as 'a grassroots advocacy group, opposing unilateral & colonial legislation' in Canada, but also campaigns on global issues including for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sanction Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

Trudeau said recently he was 'terribly saddened' by the discovery at Marieval Indian Residential School, and told Indigenous people that 'the hurt and the trauma that you feel is Canada's responsibility to bear.'

But it appears protesters are also focused on damaging monuments of British queens, even though the country became an independent state in 1867 while retaining its link to the Royal Family.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a June 29 statement that the pope will meet separately at the Vatican with the representatives of Canada’s three biggest Indigenous groups — the First Nations, the Métis and the Inuit - in December.

'Pope Francis is deeply committed to hearing directly from Indigenous Peoples, expressing his heartfelt closeness, addressing the impact of colonization and the role of the Church in the residential school system,' bishops said in their statement.

The U.S. has already launched a federal investigation.

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a June 22 memo that her department will prepare a report that identifies federal boarding school facilities, map out the locations of known and possible student burial sites, and learn the identities and tribal affiliations of the children.

In her memo, Haaland - a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and first Native American cabinet secretary - said most Indigenous parents could not visit their children at these schools, where some were abused, killed and buried in unmarked graves.

Canada will rename street named after Scottish politician who delayed abolition of slavery

Canada will rename a street named after a Scottish politician who delayed the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Toronto city council has voted to remove Henry Dundas' name from a street and other public infrastructure such as Dundas Station and Yonge-Dundas Square.

Dundas was an 18th-century Scottish politician who delayed Britain’s abolition of slavery by 15 years.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said Dundas never set foot in Canada and insisted the city should not celebrate his legacy.

A vote among city councilors has now given the plan official backing and Dundas’ name will now be stripped from signs.

Mayor Tory said: 'This recommendation is the right decision in our continuous path to building a Toronto that is inclusive, equitable and reflects the values of its diverse members.

'We acknowledge that this is just the first of many steps to come, but this a genuine step in the right direction of who we are and what we can be. The names of our public streets, parks, and monuments are a reflection of our values as Torontonians.'

The city will hold a public consultation to find a new name for the street.
As first lord of the admiralty, Dundas deliberately prolonged slavery to protect the elite in the 1800s - forcing about 630,000 slaves to wait more than a decade for their freedom.

Dundas, the first Viscount Melville, died in 1811. He was a controversial figure during his own lifetime, a defender of the British Empire and its expansion.

He also faced accusations concerning the misappropriation of public money.
The 10th Viscount Melville, Bobby Dundas, had earlier urged people to delve deeper into his ancestor’s history.

He said: 'We’re talking about a plaque that’s going to go on the side of a bit of stone. This is a very controversial period in Scottish history and there needs to be wider information available.

'From what I understand, Henry Dundas was an abolitionist. He provided the word ‘gradual’ so it would get through legislation and became law, and without that, it wouldn’t have passed for decades.

'You need to judge it by what was going on back then.'

In 1920, attendance at the residential schools became compulsory for Indigenous children between the ages of 7 and 15.

When Dominion Status was formally granted to Canada in 1926, it was recognized as an 'autonomous' community within the British Empire.

In 1931, the Statue of Westminster confirmed its full legislative independence, although full sovereignty was not formally passed until 1982.

It meant that, while the Indigenous school system continued, the British Government and Monarch were not involved in its maintenance.

It wasn't until 1982 that the Canadian Constitution was amended to recognize the rights of 'Indian, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada'.

Queen Elizabeth II, who remains Canada's monarch, has a purely constitutional role both in the UK and in former British colonies where she remains head of state.

It means that, while statues of her have been toppled, she had no ability to influence Canada's residential school system.

A statue of 18th-century British explorer Captain James Cook was also targeted in the recent protests.

The Royal Navy captain famously made three voyages in the Pacific Ocean and to Australia, but did also spend time in Canada.

He was involved in the blockade of Louisbourg against French forces in 1758 and in 1761 made charts of the town and harbour at Halifax.

He also took part in the assault on then French-held Quebec.

 

[Menthol]

Good is good, kind is kind, compassion is compassion, love is love.

And evil is evil.

Whatever the label of Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, etc, they all are just labels.

The law of the universe, the law of God, cause and effect, is still applied.


Once upon of time, there was a poor person, very humble, kind, forgiving, and noble.

Because of his noble act, many people want to become his friends.

But some of the so-called poor person friends, know that this poor person's name is kinda useful, take advantage of it, by using his name to enriching themselves, gaining power over others, and get a free pass to do nasty things.