Aaron Pete: An Indigenous chief’s honest take on unmarked graves and residential school ‘denialism’ 

Of interest, synthesis rather than dichotomy:

…From my perspective as a First Nations Chief, the impending danger stemming from this recent experience is twofold. If mere skepticism is met with censorship, the accusation of being a residential school denier, or the stupidity of criminalizing critics, reconciliation risks becoming performative and brittle.

Meanwhile, if critics ignore the documented harms of residential schools, they alienate Indigenous people and trivialize generational trauma.

My own family’s history—my grandmother’s abuse at St. Mary’s Indian Residential School in B.C., her attempts to cope with the trauma through alcohol, and my mother’s fetal alcohol syndrome—reflects the long shadow of these institutions. These realities are not erased by asking for evidence about specific claims.

We should expect detailed public statements from Indigenous nations about potential graves to be supported by widely available public evidence, and met by a media that respectfully verifies the facts.

At the same time, Canadians skeptical of the Kamloops findings should grapple with survivor testimony and the TRC’s record, which make clear that many children never came home. Based on this Angus Reid polling, that’s exactly where most Canadians appear to be.i

Bridging the divide

The phrase “Truth and Reconciliation” begins with the word truth for a reason—reconciliation cannot survive selective truth-telling. Suppressing questions breeds mistrust. Downplaying history deepens wounds.

A healthier national conversation requires both transparency and empathy—recognizing the sovereignty of Indigenous nations while understanding that withholding evidence will leave some unconvinced. Canadians are ready for a more nuanced conversation: one that honours survivors’ pain, demands accuracy from media and politicians, and resists the urge to criminalize debate.

The truth about Kamloops may remain unresolved until excavation occurs. But the truth about residential schools—the abuse, the cultural erasure, the thousands of confirmed deaths—has been established beyond a reasonable doubt. If we can hold both facts in mind, we might replace mistrust with understanding and make reconciliation more than just a slogan.

Aaron Pete is a graduate of the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. He is also a council member with Chawathil First Nation, the manager of strategic relationships with Metis Nation British Columbia, and the host of the Bigger Than Me Podcast.

Source: Aaron Pete: An Indigenous chief’s honest take on unmarked graves and residential school ‘denialism’