The monument was damaged within the last few days. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

disrespect

Residential school monument damaged in La Ronge

Oct 18, 2023 | 3:16 PM

A monument in honour of residential school survivors and the ones who didn’t make it home was vandalized in La Ronge this week.

The monument marks the spot of two residential schools, including the All Saints Indian Residential School which is photographed on its surface. It is located downtown La Ronge at the urban reserve that is also the site of a historic residential school cemetery.

“I don’t know why someone would do that, but it’s really sad to see that they’ve vandalized something that means a lot to us,” Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said.

“We have contacted a contractor to restore the monument and we are also reporting the incident to the RCMP, because it is unacceptable for someone to do that to a monument that means so much to our community members.”

The first Lac La Ronge All Saints Residential School, which was operated by the Anglican Church of Canada, opened in 1907 but later burned down in 1920. A replacement school was built afterward and it too was destroyed by fire in 1947. The space was later occupied by a hospital before it became an urban reserve.

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Elder Tom Roberts was involved in the creation of the monument, noting it was installed in 2015. He explained a few weeks after it was initially placed, it was toppled over by a rock and it wasn’t able to be re-erected until the following year.

Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his son, Hadrien, were pictured at the monument during the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30. (Facebook/Justin Trudeau)

The monument as seen on Oct. 18. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

Roberts, who is employed by the band as a support worker for survivors, mentioned the latest vandalism to the monument saddens and angers him.

“It hurts me when I see that. I get emotional when people do things like that. There is no reason for that. I don’t see why anybody would do that. If they didn’t like it, why didn’t they come and see us and talk about it?” he said.

“It’s just sad that people do this to monuments that reflect the lives of our people. It angers me that we have people who would do stuff like that. It would be like people who deface graveyards and markers like that, and for no apparent reason.”

Anyone with information regarding the vandalism should contact the La Ronge RCMP at 1-306-425-6730.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com