Statement Regarding the Kamloops Indian Residential School
Learning that the unmarked burials of 215 Indigenous children were revealed at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops is devastating. Sadly this news does not come as a shock, as Indigenous people across the country were already well aware of such grave sites. This is another stark reminder that work on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action is far from complete, and that we must confront this painful history to be able to move forward together.
Our hearts go out to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, and to the survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School; to all survivors of the residential school systems across Canada; and to all the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
We are committed to respond to the Calls to Action to support lawyers in their understanding of this dark chapter of our history, and the lasting effects on survivors, their families and communities.
Please note: In releasing our statement about the Kamloops Indian Residential School, we inaccurately used the term mass grave. We have changed our statement to refer to unmarked burials which is the language used by the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation to describe the graves of the 215 children.