Let's kick this up two levels!

Hi. I again wanted to thank and update everyone who’s supported the campaign so far.

First, some numbers: Three days in, we've reached 668 signatures and 153 shares.

Second, I wanted to comment on a potentially important development that intersects with our campaign.

At the end of yesterday afternoon, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and two Catholic organizations affiliated with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate — OMI Lacombe Canada and Notre-Dame-du-Cap — issued a Joint Statement regarding the Oblates’ decision “to expedite access to critical residential school records.” The Joint Statement builds on the Oblates’ commitment (June 24, 2021) to “documentation transparency regarding residential schools.”

Sean Carleton, Professor of History and Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, says “Don’t give the Oblates too much credit – they’ve fought access to their records for 10+ years – but this is pretty huge.”

It would be naive to imagine that the Oblates won’t succumb to the same internal and external pressures that have had them frustrate every previous effort to obtain their records. A different outcome this time will depend on all parties being able and willing to establish and adhere to policies and procedures that are transparent and accountable to First Nations and Canadians.

The Joint Statement is progress, but falls short of what’s required.

Take just one example. We have petitioned the Oblates to identify every record of their involvement in Indian Residential Schools, including (1) any record maintained by them and in their possession, (2) any record that they have lost or destroyed, and (3) any record that they have transferred elsewhere. We have also petitioned the Oblates to retrieve any record that they have transferred elsewhere and provide a certified copy to the NCTR. By contrast, the Joint Statement makes no mention of lost, destroyed, or transferred records, or what to do about them, but indicates simply that “The Oblates are taking stock of their archives to see what records are already digitized and what remains to be processed.”

In this crucial respect, and others that we’ll describe later, the Joint Statement won't amount to the Oblates coming clean about their Indian Residential Schools.

Now is not the time to ease up.

Please have all your family and friends sign and share our petition.