Today we acknowledge the grief, pain and trauma of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people and communities, following release of preliminary grounds-survey findings locating unrecovered remains of children at a former Residential School in Kamloops.

We stand in solemn solidarity with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities and we mourn the 215 children who died at this site.

We must continue to self-educate, reflect, and confront the disgraceful legacy of the Residential School system and the ways in which colonization continues to oppress, harm, and traumatize First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people.

As ever, we must all continue to interrogate our often idle commitments to enacting the Calls to Action from Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Get Educated

Learn about the past research done by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and about missing children, unmarked burials, and children who never returned from Residential School in the final report (volume 4) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Read “An Overview of the Indian Residential School System” a booklet for general information about the purpose, establishment, and history of the Indian Residential School system in Canada, created by the Anishinabek Nation and based on research compiled by Karen Restoule.  

Reconciliation at Work

Learn more about embedding Reconciliation into your work and agency by viewing the Guidance for the HIV Sector in Ontario: Reconciliation in Action, A Community Process.

Find Support: Crisis Line

A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. Emotional and crisis referral services can be accessed by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Image credit: Lighthouse Designs Photography & Prints