On Thursday, May 27th, it was announced that the remains of 215 children were found in a mass grave at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
215 children. At only one of 139 residential schools in Canada.
Condolences, thoughts, and prayers are not enough, especially when colonization of Indigenous people continues to this day. Today and every day, we recognize and honour the Indigenous children who were in residential schools between 1860 and the 1990s.
It is our collective responsibility to learn, listen and take action. Many of us were not taught about the history of Canada, including our country’s treatment of Indigenous people, it’s not too late.
Here are things that you can do:
1. Learn about residential schools, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and their calls to action.
2. Discover which calls to action you can do.
3. Have conversations with your friends and family.
4. Be (or become) an anti-racist and an ally.
5. Listen to and amplify Indigenous voices.
6. Contact your federal MP and your provincial MLA and demand that all governments commit to the TRC and to reconciliation.
Ways you can learn more:
Take the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada Free online course
A list of reading material for all ages
Here is the NCTR website with over 300 unique English-language resources and 100 French-language resources related to residential schools and other closely related topics. Choose from downloadable apps, books, computer games, films, graphic novels, lesson plans, teaching guides, and more.
