On May 27, 2021 the remains of 215 indigenous children were found on the grounds where the former Kamloops Residential school operated from 1890 - 1969 only a few hours from where I live in British Columbia. Their relatives never knew what had happened to them - only that they never came home.
The grief, anger, confusion, and outpouring of support for these little ones has filled social media sites and the daily news on radio and television. Read one such article here.
I have no words. Only a deep, deep sadness for all who have been affected, and are continuing to be affected by the shameful residential school history of my country and the churches involved in the cruelty and abuse these and many other children suffered. It has been noted that this is just the beginning of such discoveries. There are estimates that the remains of more than 4000 children from similar schools across the country have yet to be found.
The stories of those left behind to mourn are not my stories to tell. The stories of Residential school survivors are not my stories to tell, but these are the stories I need to bear witness to. We all need to bear witness to. I am listening.
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| honouring the land I walk on and the people whose land it is |
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| may peace come |
The U.S. also had schools to
ReplyDelete'de-program' the Native American children. Despicable and you know there was abuse. The older I get the more I get fed up with this world. I often wonder why God doesn't get sick of it all and just take us out! I wouldn't blamer him/her! Take care.
Thank you for calling my attention to this. I followed your link, and then spent some time reading about such residential schools for Native Americans here in the U.S. I am a bit speechless at the moment, too.
ReplyDeleteSpeechless x
ReplyDeleteOh this is heartbreaking and not something I was aware of or had heard about so thank you for shining a light on it. Just so heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteOur news carried the story and we were incensed with the cruelty humans are capable of. How horrible for all the families of these children. Our prayers are with them.
ReplyDeleteThe atrocities committed against indigenous people in the Americas is nothing short of genocide. Bringing to light the crimes committed against children (and really all indigenous people) by religion and government is a good start and hopefully will lead to a REAL reckoning to how interactions since 1492 have decimated and damaged the people already living in the Americas (North and South).
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