TkB次元官网网址檈ml煤ps te Secwepemc Chief Rosanne Casimir said Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 visit Monday was a chance to move forward, even as she publicly rebuked the prime minister for ignoring her first invitations to join the community to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

While Trudeau sat beside her with the former Kamloops Indian Residential School looming in the background, Casimir said his visit was B次元官网网址渂ittersweet.B次元官网网址� She said she hoped heB次元官网网址檇 been there on Sept. 30 to interact with survivors and B次元官网网址渟how his commitment to rectifying the historical wrongs of residential school and to grieve with our residential school survivors.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚nstead, in the middle of truth telling, cultural grounding and sharing that unfolded as part of the commemoration of the very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in this arbour, a journalist quietly informed us that the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was on vacation in Tofino,B次元官网网址� Casimir said.

B次元官网网址淭he shock, anger and sorrow and disbelief was palpable in our community.B次元官网网址�

Trudeau has apologized to Casimir previously by phone, but he told the few dozen people gathered Monday that he regrets his decision not to accept the original invitations.

B次元官网网址淚 am here today to say I wish I had been here a few weeks ago and I deeply regret it,B次元官网网址� he told them. B次元官网网址淏ut I am here today to take the hand extended by TkB次元官网网址檈ml煤ps te Secwepemc and so many Indigenous Canadians across this country who have every reason in the world to feel pessimistic and bleak about the future and instead choose hope.B次元官网网址�

More than 1,300 unmarked burial sites on the grounds of former residential schools have been uncovered since the spring using ground-penetrating radar. The first 215 were identified at the Kamloops school in May.

Casimir said she had invited Trudeau to attend the Sept. 30 day with her community, either in person or by providing remarks by video, but his office didnB次元官网网址檛 respond. Trudeau attended a national event in Ottawa the evening of Sept. 29, but he spent the next day in Tofino with his family, saying later he held a phone call with several residential school survivors.

Trudeau said he knows his decision overshadowed the events of both that day and the evening before, when a flag honouring residential school survivors was flown on Parliament Hill.

B次元官网网址淚nstead of talking about truth and reconciliation, people talked about me, and thatB次元官网网址檚 on me,B次元官网网址� he said Monday. B次元官网网址淚 take responsibility for that.B次元官网网址�

Casimir said TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 visit was B次元官网网址渁bout making some positive steps forward and rectifying a mistake.B次元官网网址�

National Chief RoseAnne Archibald of the Assembly of First Nations later told the group that the B次元官网网址渓ittle onesB次元官网网址� whose burial sites have been found deserve justice. They also need to be named and should either be ceremonially or physically returned to their homelands, she said.

B次元官网网址淪omeone must be charged for the deaths of our children,B次元官网网址� she added.

She said the assembly wants a United Nations special rapporteur appointed to investigate impartially.

B次元官网网址淐anada must be held accountable for its genocidal laws and policies. Canada must not be allowed to investigate itself,B次元官网网址� Archibald said.

Earlier in the day, Trudeau visited the sacred site where the unmarked graves were located.

B次元官网网址淚t was a long-awaited moment to receive a personal hand of recognition and sympathy regarding this horrific confirmation of unmarked graves from the Canadian (prime minister),B次元官网网址� Casimir said.

She reiterated calls for B次元官网网址渦nfettered accessB次元官网网址� to all of the documents that might help identify the children buried at residential schools, for resources to help finish searching the entire grounds of the former school, and for Ottawa to fund a new healing centre for survivors and their families in the Kamloops area.

Trudeau said he committed to her that Ottawa would work with them on a healing centre, an elderB次元官网网址檚 lodge and to find the answers needed.

NDP MP Charlie Angus said Monday that TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 vacation in Tofino was B次元官网网址渁 slap in the face to reconciliation in this country.B次元官网网址�

He said Trudeau must recognize that the actions of many involved in running residential schools such as the one in Kamloops were B次元官网网址渃rimes against humanity.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e dealing with historic crimes about the taking of children, about the attempted destruction of the Indigenous people in Canada,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o itB次元官网网址檚 really important for the prime minister to understand that words, and nice words, wonB次元官网网址檛 cut it at this time.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擝renna Owen, The Canadian Press