In Honour of the 215 Children Who Didn’t Make It Home
In Canada there are over 600 First Nation communities, each with their own history and sacred ceremonies. Unfortunately, all have been affected by some form of cultural assimilation. There are no words that can describe the pain and heartbreak that is flowing through our Nation right now.
There are no words that can bring justice to the families of those impacted by the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops residential school. The trauma that still lives on today in Indigenous people worldwide is something so predominant that it’s hard to define its significance.
By still being here today, our Peoples have shown that we have the ability to withstand and progress through whatever has been thrown our way. The sole existence of residential schools is a tragedy that should have never taken place. Our elders have continued to work towards revitalization of our culture and language by passing down their stories and teachings. Our mothers have continued to raise their children with the pain of our history, but with strength for the future.
This discovery brings to surface the reminder of how far our Peoples have come, as well as how much more work we have to do with Canadians for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Our Peoples as a whole have held their heads up in hopes for a better future through a history of broken treaties and empty apologies.
Our existence is not something that was expected or respected and with that we will continue to be resilient. We will honor the 215 children knowing that they can finally come to rest, and we will honor them knowing that our fight is not over. Their fight is not over either, now we must know their names.
Audrey Leborgne
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