Residential School Awareness

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On 27 May, 2021 the Tk’emlúps te Secwe´pemc confirmed the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. On 25 June 2021 another 751 unmarked graves were confirmed at the site of a former residential school on Cowessess First Nation. Out of respect for the deceased and their families, NPI offers the resources below to help those who are suffering, and to educate those who wish to learn more about the ongoing tragedy that is residential schools in Canada.

 

The coming year will be yet another difficult one in the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples. The pain of residential schools will be made new again for some, made exponentially worse for others. The federal and provincial governments must act quickly to confirm the location and extent of these unmarked burial sites. From there, efforts to commemorate these scenes of tragedy and horror and to make every effort to identify those who were lost and left unmarked should go forward. But those commemoration and repatriation efforts, as the federal government has already committed, should move forward “at the pace of the communities

 

If you would like to share any information with NPI, please email info@northernpolicy.ca


Available resources

  • The Indian Residential School Survivors Society, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-721-0066.
  • A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line set up to provide support for former students and anyone affected. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
  • Bishop Horden Hall (Moose Factory Island)
  • Cecilia Jeffrey (Kenora)
  • Chapleau
  • Cristal Lake (in Northwestern Ontario)
  • Fort Frances
  • Fort William
  • McIntosh (near Kenora)
  • Pelican Lake (Sioux Lookout)
  • Poplar Hill
  • St. Anne’s (Fort Albany)
  • St. Mary’s (Kenora)
  • Shingwauk (Sault Ste. Marie)
  • Spanish Boys’ School (Spanish)
  • Spanish Girls’ School (Spanish)
  • Stirland Lake
  • Mohawk Institute (Brantford)
  • Mount Elgin (Munceytown, near Mount Elgin)

  • For a full list of residential schools across Canada: Click here