It has been over a week since the horrifying news about the undocumented burial site of 215 children discovered at the government and church-run Kamloops Indian Residential School, confirming the testimonies and stories of many survivors shared during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for decades prior. With many thousands of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children having attended these residential schools, there are undoubtedly many similar sites and more heartbreaking truths that cannot be ignored.
We recognize that the impacts of this shameful legacy continue to reverberate through Indigenous communities, with devastating and ongoing impacts to the wellbeing of many communities and individuals. We take this moment to continue our reflections on how land ownership, land use and governance are among the tools used in settler colonialism to disempower Indigenous peoples.
We commit to walking alongside Indigenous communities on a path forward toward reconciliation. We are grateful to live and work in the territories of many First Nations on Turtle Island. We are privileged to be working with and learning from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Musqueam Indian Band, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw Squamish Nation, and səlilwətaɬ Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the Algonquins of Ontario. We are committed to listening to, learning from and supporting our Indigenous partners and communities. We will not look away from these latest discoveries. Every Child Matters.