On behalf of HIP (Honouring Indigenous Peoples), its Board of Directors and Allies, we extend our deepest sympathies to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation on the discovery of the mass grave on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops British Columbia. We ask everyone to wear orange, lower flags and declare this a national time of mourning to Honour these 215 children, and all Indigenous children who never made it home.
Finding these remains is a painful reminder of the injustice and the intergenerational impact it has had. The passage of time does not erase the suffering caused by residential schools to Indigenous communities, survivors and their families. To truly Honour these children and their families, we encourage everyone to take action by reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report from 2015 and seek to implement the 94 Calls-to-Action in support of reconciliation and to heal the suffering.
John Currie
Executive Director, HIP