Imagine the reserve itself telling y’all to calm down & stop making assumptions.

Written by Irene Andreas , COWESSES first nation

Dear Folks, our leaders today are addicted to media sensationalism. I can see how the Marieval graveyard news is causing a lot of heartbreak and emotional breakdowns.

Please listen to your elderly folks as well.

We respected the Church, we respected the dead. We buried our dead with a proper funeral. Then we allowed them to Rest In Peace.
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Please be aware that this cemetery is a community cemetery with all races and ages of people buried there.

The headstones were removed in 1966-1967, as a first step in refurbishing as the old markers were damaged by weather, age or animals.

The second step of replacing the old and broken headstones wasn’t completed. Parishioners had moved away or had passed on or were simply unable to put up a marker for various reasons.

Please know that it is the obligation of the family to put a marker there for their deceased. This is not the responsibility of the government or the church.

To assume that foul play took place would be premature and unsupported.

There is no “discovery “ of graves. All your elders have knowledge of every grave.
The Band office has records from the Bishops office, the Church board and from Cemetery workers who were in charge of digging graves and burials.

The Band office received a list of over 750 registered burials from the Bishops office.
Information is being put out there that doesn’t recognize these facts.
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So please, people, do not make up stories about residential school children being put in unmarked graves. No such thing ever happened.

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