Grande Prairie high school students stage walkout in protest of teacher's social media post disputing Kamloops Indian Residential School mass graves

Students from St. John Paul II school in Grande Prairie walked out in protest of their social studies teacher after she disputed whether graves were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School.

On Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Amy Davidson shared a social media post from Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada and a cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“Let’s tell the truth: no bodies were found in Kamloops. The residential-school ‘genocide’ claim is a hoax,” Bernier wrote on his X account.

In response to the shared social media post, approximately 120 students and supporters staged a walkout on an Arbour Hills walking trail, more than half a kilometre away from the school on Oct. 13.

Some carried large cardboard signs saying “Don’t let the uneducated educate us”, others carried letter-sized paper with messages such as “The Kamloops mass graves are real”.

“I just feel like it’s not appropriate for someone who needs to teach the youth about our history. Actively denying it. And it’s not fair or right that she can be saying these things and actively harming these people and to have no consequences,” said senior high school student Isobel Knopf.

Davidson defended her beliefs when people questioned her. She reinforced her conviction in Bernier’s post, and that it was relevant that it be posted on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

To another poster she confirmed she was a social studies teacher and disheartened by misinformation about false claims of genocide saying it created a ‘boy who cried wolf’ type scenario.”

In another post she clearly stated she again denied the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“I don’t disagree with any of that. However, the Kamloops ‘mass grave’ is false, and beyond that, there is no evidence that there was a genocide of Canadian indigenous people, or a plan for a genocide. Facts matter.”

The commission found the Canadian Indian Residential School system was a cultural genocide of indigenous culture, language and families. They estimated more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forcibly taken from their homes and put in schools managed by the government and churches.

The commission outlined the widespread abuse: physical, sexual and emotional. They further reported that thousands of children died, many of whom were in unmarked graves and their families were never notified.

Former student Zoie Stack said it was difficult to read the posts. When she was at the school she felt Davidson was her favourite teacher.

“I got frustrated because she was my teacher in grade 10. I graduated last year, and it’s horrible to know that my sister’s at a school where she’s teaching actively.”

Nelly Cunningham heard of the protest on Facebook. She was concerned about the teacher’s continued influence on students.

“She’s so self-centred. It’s so arrogant to see what’s going on around it. I don’t even think she realized what she was saying. And if she does, then it’s like, should you really be teaching at that point?”

Dr. Jessie Shirley, superintendent, addressed the posts with a letter to staff titled Truth and Reconciliation is our Legal and Moral Directive, on Oct.3.

Referencing the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Final Report, Shirley noted the school division moves forward by embracing two critical statements: Residential school denialism is unacceptable and reconciliation isn’t an Aboriginal problem, but instead a Canadian one.

Calls to the school district were answered via  email.

“We believe our students should feel empowered to express their perspectives, advocate for what they believe in and engage in respectful, peaceful dialogue on matters that are meaningful to them and their communities.”

As for their teacher, the school district said it does not comment publicly on individual personnel matters.

Davidson declined to speak on the record.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.