Indigenous community mourns discovery of residential school mass grave

She posted signs at city landmarks across the city, including city hall and the courthouse, to remind the public about the number of lives lost.

(Submitted photo/Kim Deminick)

Right now, she said, education, is of utmost importance.

“Education, and knowledge is power, and we need to spread the awareness and make it known about Canada’s dark history and dirty secrets,” she said.

Over at the Miywasin Friendship Centre, cultural coordinator Brenda Mercer was also stunned.

“ It’s devastating and overwhelming. I think those numbers will be higher because I believe this is only one of many residential schools,” she said.

Her parents, grandparents, and other members of her family attended residential schools. The experience, so horrific, she said, none of them talk about it.

Amid the tragedy, Mercer said it is important to remember the impact residential schools have had, and the inter-generational trauma that stemmed because of it. Mercer herself is a Sixties Scoop survivor.

“ As a result of residential school which my parents came out of. They weren’t able to be parents because of the abuse and trauma that they suffered at the hands of these schools. So, social services at that time took away children, and put them in non-indigenous homes,” she explained.

Over the weekend, vigils were held in cities across Canada, including the city of Calgary and Edmonton to honour the lives lost.

For Deminick, she was appalled at how long it took for various levels of government to respond.

The remains of the 215 children were announced Thursday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, requested that federal flags be flown at half-mast on Sunday. The city lowered their flags Monday, days after the remains were discovered. Many provincial buildings in the city, including the courthouse, still had their flags not lowered as of Monday evening.

“ It’s very frustrating to see how long it took for people to acknowledge this and to give proper representation to these children,” she said.

At the Medicine Hat Public School Division, flags were flown at half-mast Monday, and a moment of silence was held at 2:15 to honour the lives lost. Students and teachers were also encouraged to wear an orange T-shirt, as education took place during the day about the tragic events.

“ We certainly felt compelled to respond. It is incredibly heartbreaking, and when we think about truth and reconciliation, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it is easy for us to jump at the reconciliation part, and skip past the truth, and when we learn about things like this they are really, really, hard truths,” said Superintendent Corey Saddlemeyer.

Darrell Willier is a First Nations, Métis and Inuit coordinator at the Medicine Hat Public School division.

“It’s kind of a difficult situation to comprehend. For decades we heard stories about how many kids went missing or disappeared at various residential schools across Canada, and some people said, ‘well you know until we know for sure then we can’t really prove it. Well now we have sufficient proof,” Willier said.

Earlier today, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on the federal government to take firm action in the wake of the discovery and urged them to fund the search of other residential school sites.

That’s something Willier, an Indigenous man, would also like to see, along with greater accountability from the Federal government.

“I think it is really needed, especially for the families that don’t know where their kids have gone, because when kids went missing families were not told what happened to them there was no communication whatsoever between the residential school and the family,” he said.

This evening, Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson announced the province’s commitment to fund research into the undocumented deaths and burials of hundreds of Indigenous children who did not make their way home.

“Residential schools operated between 1893 and 1996 across Canada. Of the 134 schools, at least 25 operated in Alberta. For generations, Indigenous parents had their children taken from them to attend schools away from their families, communities, languages and culture. For too many families, children never returned.” Wilson said in a press release.

“The discovery of 215 lost children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School site heightens the need to take action. Alberta’s government extends sincere condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and all of the families affected by this profound tragedy. They need real progress from governments, institutions and from every one of us toward real reconciliation.” Wilson said.

Details on funding will be released at a later date, according to the province.

As for what people can do right now to support the Indigenous community who are grieving, compassion and understanding is key, said Willier

A larger vigil to honour the lives of the children will be held at the Saamis Tepee this Thursday. The Miywasin Friendship centre is looking to place 215 pairs of children’s shoes at the Tepee site to symbolize each of the lives lost. A time for the event has not been set as of yet. But the Miywasin Friendship Centre is in need of children’s shoes. The Miywasin Friendship Centre can be reached at 403-526-0756

by Tiffany Goodwein

Indigenous community mourns discovery of residential school mass grave

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