Ottawa, May 31, 2021
Statement from the Canadian Museums Association Following the Discovery of the Remains of 215 Indigenous Children at Site of BC Residential School
Dr. Vanda Vitali, chief executive officer and Executive Director of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) today issued the following statement following the discovery last Friday of the remains of 215 children on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.
“The discovery last week of a mass grave with the remains of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, is a stark reminder of the horrors perpetrated on Indigenous children and communities in a too recent past.
In recounting the tragedy of the residential school system in its landmark report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) pointedly remarked that these children were subjected to institutionalized neglect in life and dishounoured in death.
As the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community grieves the loss of those precious lives and finds ways to honour them and their families, all Canadians must join in their effort.
Through their lives, their suffering and in their death, these children leave a legacy that must never be forgotten.
As the TRC reminded us, the pathway to Reconciliation required an awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm inflicted, atonement for its causes, and action to promote change.
As a community committed to preserving and interpreting the past so that present and future generations may learn from it, the museums community has a special role and responsibility to preserving and telling the story of these children and their communities.
We will continue to work with our Indigenous partners across the country to determine how we can best acknowledge and atone for the suffering caused by Canada’s colonial past, how we can help tell their stories, preserve their culture and support their struggles for change.
Together, we hope to make museums safe spaces where all can come to learn, to share, to grieve and to support one another as we learn and acknowledge our painful past, our imperfect present and work toward Reconciliation and a better future for all”.
For more information: communications@museums.ca
Related resouces:
- A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. The emotional and crisis referral services can be accessed by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419. https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1581971225188/1581971250953
- The Indian Residential School Survivors Society offers a crisis line for grief, crisis, and trauma counselling: 1-800-721-0066. https://www.irsss.ca/