215

We read on the local email exchange that a memorial to honour the recently discovered graves of missing and murdered students of the former Kamloops residential school was being set up on the steps of the library. The remains of 215 children were discovered by the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. The graves are unmarked and apparently unrecorded.  G and I went to the memorial today, stood silently and wept. I managed to take a couple of photos. 
The news about the number of graves has hit us hard. I haven’t been able to mention it or write about it here because I’ve been too emotional. It’s still difficult, but I can’t not write about it. I worked for the Native Indian Teacher Education Program (NITEP) at UBC for many years and G also worked for the program for a short time. We know so many people who went to residential schools in BC, who have relatives who never came home, whose families have suffered so much from intergenerational trauma. Most of our NITEP students were mature students, and they shared a lot about the trauma they and their families have experienced. I know people who went to the Kamloops school. One of the NITEP centres was actually located there, and I went to a meeting and got really weird vibes and a strong sense of unease from the place. One of my good friends is from the  Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, and her brother is a well known chief. They and other siblings went to the school as day students, and their parents and other family members were boarded there. He was interviewed on CBC radio and here’s a link to the conversation if you’re interested in listening. There’s a short intro to what’s coming up on the program before the interview.
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15846451-survivor-recalls-kamloops-b.c.-residential-school-remains-children 
We wouldn’t be surprised if there are many more graves all across the country. It is a shameful and despicable part of Canadian history. It’s unimaginable to think of children being ripped from their families and treated so poorly. Loss of culture, loss of language, loss of connection to family…imagine if that happened to your children, if they were forcefully taken from you and you might or might not see them again, and then these graves were found and you suspect that one of your relatives might be buried there. So much suffering.
I’m glad that people are hearing about these tragedies and hopefully awareness will be raised about the devastation and trauma that the residential school system has caused to Indigenous people. Heartbreaking.  :-(
Extra: sign at the memorial
A couple of links to articles, one from a local news site in Kamloops and one from the CBC online news that has some informative links:
https://www.castanetkamloops.net/news/Kamloops/335372/-It-was-devastating-chief-recalls-after-remains-of-215-children-found-in-B-C-

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-emlúps-te-secwépemc-215-children-former-kamloops-indian-residential-school-1.6043778