Volume 35 Issue 10, 11 & 12 | Posted: December 23, 2021
The mayor of Williams Lake is under fire after reposting on Facebook an opinion that defended the Indian residential school system.
Last week, Mayor Walt Cobb reposted a letter that was written by a man called Jim Bissell and, in turn, had been reposted by a woman called Judy Kerr.
The long letter defended the residential school system, stating “the media is only telling half the story.”
It also said the churches that ran the federal-government funded schools “ were not always right, no, of course not, but they actually wanted to educate, feed and make the lives of all people better regardless of where they came from.
“The churches do not need to apologize for trying to educate the poor in the only system that would work for nomadic peoples. They need to say sorry though for protecting and moving about the few bad apples (priests).”
The letter goes on to state that most of the victims of the residential school system are dead, which is wrong.
“Please believe me when I say that the missionaries were not a bunch of evil persons out to kill little children like it sounds in today’s media,” Bissell wrote.
Over the weekend, the Williams Lake First Nation chief, Willie Sellars, send a letter to Cobb and council, saying there was no place for Cobb “or his dogma in today’s world.”
“He may hide behind the fact that he was merely sharing a post, but his agenda is clear,” Sellars said.
“Despite the (Kamloops) and other residential school discoveries, despite the countless well-documented first person accounts from residential school survivors, despite the numerous convictions of officials and personnel associated with residential schools, despite the condemnation of that ‘school’ system by our prime minister and most other provincial governments, despite the admission of responsibility from the churches associated with the operation of the residential school system — Mayor Cobb isn’t convinced that the criticism of that residential school system is legitimate.”
Sellars called for Cobb’s resignation.
Cobb told the Williams Lake Tribune that he shares opinions on social media that represent different sides of stories. He said he had taken down the repost.
Cobb could not be reached for comment.
On Tuesday night at council meeting, Cobb was severely rebuked by councillors Jason Ryall, Marnie Brenner, Ivan Bonnell and Craig Smith for his stance on residential schools. Cobb then apologized before listening to a delegation from the Williams Lake First Nation.
Council voted unanimously that all council members, including the mayor, take cultural sensitivity training.
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David Carrigg
