Statement on the Kamloops Indian Residential School Burials
June 16, 2021
BC Studies expresses its sadness at the discovery of the remains of 215 children on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. We hold these children and their families in our collective thoughts during this time of grief.
This grim discovery is part of the known history of residential schools in Canada. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified residential schools part of a policy of “cultural genocide” and published an extensive volume on missing children and unmarked burials.
We encourage our readers to learn more about residential schools, their ongoing impacts, and the necessary steps for healing and restitution. The following links are some places to start:
- “Remains of Children of Kamloops Residential School Discovered” (27 May 2021): https://tkemlups.ca/remains-of-children-of-kamloops-residential-school-discovered/
- “How to Support Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc” (3 June 2021): https://tkemlups.ca/how-to-support-tkemlups-te-secwepemc/
- TRC Summary of Final Report (2015) http://www.trc.ca/assets/pdf/Honouring_the_Truth_Reconciling_for_the_Future_July_23_2015.pdf
- TRC volume on missing children and unmarked burials (2015) http://www.trc.ca/assets/pdf/Volume_4_Missing_Children_English_Web.pdf
- TRC Calls to Action (2015) http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
- “Statement on the Kamloops Indian Residential School burials” Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre: https://irshdc.ubc.ca/2021/05/28/statement-on-the-kamloops-indian-residential-school-burials/
- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-Kwe, “The Discovery of a Mass Grave at a Former Residential School is Just the Tip of the Iceberg” (30 May 2021): https://irshdc.ubc.ca/2021/05/30/the-discovery-of-a-mass-grave-at-a-former-residential-school-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/