The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
The creation of this federal statutory holiday was through legislative amendments made by Parliament on June 3, 2021.
Begin your learning journey today on the path towards truth and reconciliation.
In May 2021, the buried remains of 215 children, some as young as three years old, were found at the school site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation had long believed there were unmarked graves at the school, but their voices had gone ignored.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has so far officially documented 51 students who died at the school. The remains found confirm the long-held belief that the true number was much higher. For years, residential school survivors and their families shared lived experiences of loved ones who went missing. Some students stated they witnessed the death and murder of children at residential schools. Many parents were never notified of their child’s passing, nor were they told where their children were.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was the first time questions surrounding missing children were given a serious hearing, believed, and listened to. The students who did not return have come to be known as the Missing Children. The Missing Children Project documents the deaths and the burial places of children who died while attending the schools. To date, more than 4,177 children who died while attending a residential school have been identified.
 |
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is a provincial organization working to provide services to Indian Residential School survivors. They suggest the following actions anyone can take to make a step towards Reconciliation.
|
