Exaggerating Historical Injustices

The indigenous residential school controversy

2023-09-08

So far, no human remains have been found at several indigenous residential school sites where the presence of unmarked graves was alleged. Unscrupulous “antiracists” seem to care very little about historical truth.

Sommaire en français Jusqu’à présent, aucun reste humain n’a été retrouvé sur plusieurs sites de pensionnats autochtones où la présence de tombes anonymes a été alléguée. Les « antiracistes » sans scrupules semblent se soucier très peu de la vérité historique.

In Canada, mainstream media and the so-called “left” have become so biased, so dishonest—especially on any issue involving racism or alleged racism—that it is apparently necessary to consult right-wing or foreign media to get any common sense reporting on such issues.

Consider allegations, made in recent years, that unmarked graves of children murdered in native residential schools have been found in several locations. A recent article “True North’s reporting on the ‘unmarked graves’ narrative has been vindicated” in True North points out that whenever excavations have been carried out in such locations (the article lists three: Pine Creek in Manitoba, Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia and Camsell Hospital in Edmonton), no human remains have been found. An article “What happened to Canada’s ‘mass graves’?” in the UK’s Sp!ked lists four sites (including a former Mohawk school in Brantford and Kuper Island Residential School in B.C.).

The True North article also laments the attacks (both verbal and physical) on Christian churches resulting from these allegations. Normally, I would not particularly care about the churches, but I do care about false accusations of murdering children—even if directed at Catholic and Anglican priests and nuns. And of course we must denounce the wave of vandalism and arson directed at several churches in western Canada in 2021. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau foolishly dismissed the church burnings as “understandable.”

I especially denounce those fanatics who slander anyone who questions the dominant narrative about native residential schools by labelling them “denialist,” as if there were any comparison to be made with the Nazi holocaust, an outrageous implication. Some scepticism is healthy and wise.

Of course not all the data are in. […] But based on the evidence—or rather lack of evidence—so far, it is reasonable to maintain that the native residential school system implemented cultural genocide at worst…

Of course not all the data are in. There are apparently other alleged burial sites which have not yet been excavated. But based on the evidence—or rather lack of evidence—so far, it is reasonable to maintain that the native residential school system implemented cultural genocide at worst, not physical genocide. People of European descent have, in many situations, been guilty of genocide against the First Nations of North and South America, including Canada, but apparently not in this case.

Exaggerating the degree of injustice suffered by a group is counter-productive, because it leads to discrediting those allegations which are indeed valid. If self-righteous “antiracists” continue to use the word “genocide” to describe the situation, many will begin to doubt the reality of even the cultural genocide which did occur.

So why do some people continue to indulge in such exaggeration?

So why do some people continue to indulge in such exaggeration? The greater the persecution of which they can accuse their adversaries, the greater they perceive their own virtue to be. In other words, they do it out of pure conceit, to inflate their egos.

The indigenous residential school controversy

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