Dear Friends,

We begin National Indigenous History Month learning the horrific news of the undisclosed graves of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. While long suspected by Indigenous survivors of Residential Schools, and reported by the Truth & Reconciliation Report, the discovery is no less shocking to the conscience of all Canadians. We mourn with Indigenous people in Canada and share their grief, particularly the grief of survivors.

This discovery shows us that the path to reconciliation must begin with learning the distressing truths of the residential school experience and a full understanding of the trauma inflicted on generations of innocent children and their descendants.

I encourage you to read this statement on the 215 Indigenous Children found buried from Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST), an urban Indigenous agency in our community that provides child welfare services to Indigenous children and families. Over three decades, NCFST has witnessed firsthand the intergenerational trauma of residential schools and recognizes the need for further action to address this painful chapter in Canada’s history.

Former students and those experiencing the trauma of this tragic news can call the 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line for support and crisis referral services at 1-866 925-4419.

I invite non-Indigenous persons to learn more about the history of Indigenous peoples, their traditional territories, and the legacy of Residential Schools with the following resources:

• https://nctr.ca
• https://native-land.ca/
• https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Volume_4_Missing_Children_English_Web.pdf

Read more in my Community Update on June 2 here.