{"id":73028,"date":"2021-05-31T10:40:37","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T14:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgccan.com\/?p=73028"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:24:00","slug":"kamloops-residential-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgccan.com\/en\/kamloops-residential-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement on Kamloops Residential School"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tk\u2019eml\u00faps te Secwe\u0313pemc First Nation discovered an unmarked gravesite<\/a> at the Kamloops Residential School holding the remains of 215 children.<\/p>\n

This is a horrific discovery, a tragedy of huge scale.\u00a0Flags are flying at half-mast across the country, honouring these children who were ripped from their families, from their way of life, from their traditions and culture, and sent to residential school.<\/p>\n

The story of the 215 children in Kamloops is one that was repeated over and over at residential schools across the country. These institutions cared little for the lives under their charge. We have always known there were deaths\u2014those that were recorded and many more that were unrecorded. Children lost to disease, neglect, punishment, malnutrition, or from attempts to escape. The 215 lost souls are a stark reminder of how many children lost their lives, how many young people were tossed aside in the foul quest to \u201ctake the Indian out of the child.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tragedy of residential schools is not \u201chistory\u201d\u2014it is an ongoing trauma for families and communities. And it should be a wake up call for all of us\u2014a reminder that we must create a different future.\u00a0We must do more.<\/p>\n

National Indigenous History Month starts tomorrow. An opportunity for reflection and education\u2014and for action. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission\u2019s 94 Calls to Action remain unfulfilled.\u00a0It is our collective responsibility to listen, to learn, and to act.<\/p>\n

For all the children who were taken. For all that live today with the trauma of their past.\u00a0For all who perished.\u00a0For the 215.<\/p>\n

National Indian Residential School 24-hour crisis line: 1-866-925-4419<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tk\u2019eml\u00faps te Secwe\u0313pemc First Nation discovered an unmarked gravesite at the Kamloops Residential School holding the remains of 215 children. This is a horrific discovery, a tragedy of huge scale.\u00a0Flags are flying at half-mast across the country, honouring these children who were ripped from their families, from their way of life, from their traditions and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[1048,1030,518,920],"class_list":["post-73028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bgc-news","tag-every-child-matters","tag-kamloops","tag-reconciliation","tag-residential-schools"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t