Thursday, January 26th, 2012
WINNIPEG — The chief of the Bloodvein First Nation in Manitoba has condemned the comments of an aboriginal pastor who claimed that victims of teen suicide are buried in the community’s landfill.
Chief Roland Hamilton said he found the news report of Pastor Robert McLean’s Sunday sermon to be disturbing and without substance.
&"It’s very disturbing to hear that, especially when it comes from a well-known minister,&" Hamilton said Monday.
A news report said that McLean, a member of Aboriginal Missions, told the congregation of Lac du Bonnet’s Abundant Life Chapel on Sunday that the stigma associated with teen suicide in many First Nation communities has prompted leaders to bury the youths in landfills.
The news report included a photo of McLean making a slide show presentation, with a photo showing the alleged graves in a landfill.
Hamilton said the report has upset the community, adding the death of any of its members is treated respectfully.
He said he was surprised that the news report was published without any attempt to verify its accuracy.
Hamilton said the cemetery at Bloodvein is full and three graves have been located close to the community’s landfill but added those graves are not in the landfill and those individuals did not take their own lives.
&"Whenever there is a death, be it natural causes, accident, or suicide, the family decides the location of the grave,&" Hamilton said. &"No one has ever been buried in the landfill.
&"This report is causing a lot of hurt to me and to others in the community.&"
McLean said Monday evening his sermon wasn’t intended to target Bloodvein First Nation. Its point was to show the problem of youth suicides on First Nations in Manitoba and northern Ontario and that it was time for community members to deal with the issue.
&"I’m sorry if I offended anyone,&" McLean said. &"It was not intended to pinpoint a certain community but just to show an example. It should have been more generalized.
&"My point was to focus on the youth and do what we can to educate our next generation to become good leaders. It’s not intended to slam one community.&"
Aboriginal Missions is affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC).
According to the Aboriginal Missions website, McLean is the PAOC native ministries co-ordinator for Manitoba and northwest Ontario. Aboriginal Missions operates 27 churches in northern Manitoba.
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