Four Catholic churches have burned down on native land in Canada in last week

At least four Catholic churches on native land in Canada have burned down in the last seven days, as the nation reels from the recent discoveries of more than 750 unidentified remains, many of them children, found in unmarked graves at the country’s so-called “residential schools”, often run by the Catholic church.

On Saturday morning, in the province of British Columbia, St. Ann’s Catholic Church on the Upper Similkameen Indian Band’s land went up in flames, and later that day Chopaka Catholic on the Lower Similkameen Band’s land burned down as well, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The RCMP said it was investigating the fires in connection with two other church fires from last week, when churches on Penticton and Osoyoos Indian Band lands burned down. No arrests have been made.