Dakota Tipi First Nation chief Eric Pashe addressed the recent issue of unmarked graves at residential school sites, and revealed, based on their understanding, that the entire residential school system started far earlier in Portage la Prairie with Dakota children and predated government involvement. He notes that they believe there could have been four different schools that eventually evolved into the residential school system of which we're now much more familiar.

"I would just like to make a first official comment that Dakota Tipi First Nation has submitted a request for funding to the Missing Children and Unmarked Burials team to support our search, recovery and healing process," says Pashe. "We are still waiting to hear back from them, but we are hopeful. We've also yet to hear from the province if they will be supporting Dakota Tipi in this important journey ahead for our people. I know, with the information and news that came about with regards to the discovery of the burials at the Kamloops Residential School, that it set in motion a number of events that we're experiencing today with a number of First Nation communities involved in searches within the residential schools across Canada."

amilies and the children. But we really don't want to pinpoint that right at this moment. It is very sensitive to us. And another one on 9th St Northwest, as well. There was the third school and then the current Rufus Prince building, the fourth one."

He notes these four schools are highly significant to their community, and they want to move ahead and see action take place to make things right for their First Nation.

"Those are relatives, so we believe that what the Chief initiated with the proposal will, hopefully, be acknowledged by the province and the federal governments, and then the Dakotas,seeing as history states that these residential schools were created for the Dakotas. And then it just evolved from here and throughout Canada over the timeframe of the early 1700s to 1800s. When you look at the list of schools across Canada and when they evolved, they were around the 1800s -- 1880 and 1888, and so forth. And our schools were already erected prior to that period."

g to be no fighting in the area, and that things will settle down here and work together."

He says this experience with La Verendrye proves that they weren't refugees but had always been here, seeing as it took place before the Canadian border was finalized when the confusion arose as to where the Dakotas originated.

"When you look at past history with the Indigenous, Canada needs to ante up," notes Taylor, "and finally, once and for all, realize that the Indigenous need to be recognized. They need to honour them and respect who they are. Enough of hiding. Enough of covering up. That's why we're here today, because of what was hidden in those grounds, at those schools. Those children are the ones that brought all this to light. Their spirits are never-ending and those spirits are the ones that brought everybody's attention to this certain subject today."

Taylor says they've always known these facts and they were handed down from generation to generation, but Canada is just beginning to learn about them.

Documents written by Dakota Tipi councillors"Read up on the history of the Indigenous in their local area. Break those myths of the Indigenous. It's time. This is the time now," says Taylor. "We're not savages running around in the bush. We're looking at moving forth in a good way with our communities. We want to work together to protect the environment -- those kinds of issues. Climate change. We want to move in a positive direction. And we want Canada to understand that we've always been here and we're always going to be here. We're not going anywhere and they need to recognize this, and once and for all make it right for our children -- the future of our Dakota children."

He outlines more history of the schools.

"My history talks about Inkabah, the first girl for whom they made a trade (with a blanket) with her mother to start the school," says Taylor. "But prior to that, the Dakotas were at a fish camp northeast of Portage in St. Marks, St. Ambrose and St. Laurent -- in that area. That's where La Verendrye, in the 1700s, signed the treaty with the Dakotas -- a peace treaty."

He says the Portage la Prairie area is so rich with Dakota history.

"We look in the past, how the Ojibwe and the Iroquois moved from the east coming into this area that the Dakotas were here, and they had battles here for so long," explains Taylor. "And then they finally came to a pact where they decided that they were going to have a powwow for two weeks -- the Ojibwe and the Dakotas -- and then they made a treaty so that they would stop fighting each other in the area."

He notes these pacts and treaties were made orally, as per their tradition, and weren't written down.

"We have documentation that we could line up the names of the kids in the school and so forth," adds Taylor. "Just recently, we found our actual relatives' fish camp in St. Laurent where they were massacred in 1868 -- in that timeframe. So, there's so much that needs to be recognized in the area and there are so many sensitive areas of our relatives buried throughout. And that's why it's important that the community understands the Dakota history."

He notes the Presbyterian's Women Sioux Mission Society was incorporated in 1887 and opened the second school in 1895, then it became the responsibility of the United Church of Canada in 1925.

Taylor reads from a written record formulated by their people in relatively recent years.

"'In 1882, the Presbyterian people saw us wandering around like wild beasts in the country,'" quotes Taylor. "'And some of the nice ladies from the Mission didn't like the way we were at the time. So, that year, they started missionary work amongst us just north of the city of Portage Prairie. And they did it in a tent. When they got their things going nicely, they told us that they were going to teach us how to read and write English, also. Well, ever since then, we have been loyal to the name of the Presbyterian and our Indian school in the first place. When you come to find out the standpoint of it, starting back from 1882, 45 years ago we have been having church service every Sunday. Our children are going to schools. Inside of 45 years, there have been three different generations in both church and school service starting from 1882 up till today, a long way off before the other reserves started in church and in school service.'"

He notes these were their uncles and grandfathers writing about the history of the churches and the schools. Taylor says this was said to have taken place 45 years prior to 1882.

Taylor adds a statement that their forefathers always spoke about.

"Our people were always loyal to our country, Canada," says Taylor. "They fought under the British flag in the War of 1812. They fought against the French in the Northwest Rebellion, as well. That is to show that we are loyal to our country. That history needs to be put out there to show that the Dakotas were always here and to receive that level of respect that has to be there on all levels of government. Ultimately, in the end, this is all about our children, and finding them and bringing them home. And we pray that this whole procedure and this whole process works out in the positive for all of us."

Images courtesy of Sioux Village Facebook page.