(Ottawa, ON) 28 juin 2021 – Several weeks ago, the Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) was devastated by the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children that were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia. We remain equally outraged over the recent news that another 104 potential unmarked graves were located near the site of the former Brandon Residential School in Manitoba and now 751 unmarked graves near a former school in Saskatchewan. These tragedies underscore a need to investigate all Residential Schools so that the Indigenous children who were deprived of their right to a full life can be honoured, and returned to their families. All of the deaths must be investigated, and the guilty made accountable and brought to justice.

Toutes les preuves indiquent qu'il reste encore d'autres enfants autochtones à trouver dont les corps ont été cachés et n'ont jamais été reconnus. Il est impératif que chacun de ces enfants soit localisé et reçoive l'honneur qu'ils méritent, ainsi que leurs proches, afin que nous puissions tous commencer à guérir en tant que pays.

“We know that so many more missing and murdered Indigenous children will be found. The count will reach into the thousands based on what we have always heard within the Indigenous community. At last, these discoveries have captured the world’s attention and people everywhere are acknowledging the truth about what happened here in Canada and are mourning alongside us. Public awareness is an important first step toward achieving justice and we are hopeful that from these tragedies, we will learn from this government and church tyranny and violence to ensure this never happens again,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF.

“We call upon the Federal Government to do the right thing, to accept responsibility for these acts of violence and crimes against humanity and to conduct an inquiry and implement actions to help Indigenous Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors. We urge Government to work with Survivors and organizations, such as the LHF, to help with more-on-the-land healing funds because we know that generations of our people are still suffering with the resulting trauma. We also hope that Ministers of Education will make Indigenous history, including the history of Residential and Day Schools and the Sixties Scoop, compulsory across all jurisdictions, and when they do the LHF and other Indigenous organizations can share the educational tools and curricula with teachers so that our future decision-makers, leaders and citizens know the truth, develop empathy, understanding and respect for Indigenous Peoples,” said Board President Adam North Peigan.

Residential Schools were established in 1883 by the Canadian Government in order to “get rid of the Indian problem by killing the Indian in the child.” Up until 1997, when the last school closed, an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children throughout Canada were forced into these mostly church-run schools, where they were prohibited from speaking Indigenous languages and practising their own culture, underwent severe emotional, physical, sexual abuse, violence and shamed and humiliated regularly just because they were Indigenous.

Bon nombre des enfants qui ont fréquenté ces écoles ont connu des niveaux odieux de négligence et de malnutrition, associés à des taux élevés de maladie et d'abus qui étaient rares pour les autres enfants au Canada à l'époque. Les enfants autochtones faisaient face à des taux de mortalité allant de 40% à 60%. Tout au long de l'histoire sordide des pensionnats indiens, on pense que 4 100 enfants ont péri, bien que ce nombre puisse atteindre 15 000+.

“We are heart-broken by the discovery of more unmarked graves, but we are not surprised because most Indigenous Peoples have known about this from their family and community members for years. The LHF has worked with hundreds of Survivors, and many have shared that they had tried to go to authorities, but that their claims were disregarded. The Federal Government hired Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce to investigate the schools and he reported the abuses happening there, yet the Government chose to bury his report and keep the schools open another 70 years,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF, and added, “To say they didn’t know is naïve and factually incorrect. This was never about assimilation. It was about genocide against Indigenous Peoples. Although our hearts ache for the families and communities, we are uplifted by the support allyship shown by Canadians in solidarity over the atrocities that are finally coming to light.”

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been work into promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 20 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Sixties Scoop on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote hope and healing. The LHF works to encourage people to address racism and discrimination so as to contribute to the equity, dignity, and just relationships among all. The LHF works with teachers, school boards, universities, policing agencies, government departments, banks, unions, private businesses, and citizens to help meet these goals.

La LHF offre une collection unique et complète de programmes d'études de la maternelle à la 12e année, plus de 20 expositions et guides d'activités, des ateliers, de la formation et des ressources pour adultes, 2 séries de balados, des rapports de recherche visant à éduquer les Canadiens sur l'histoire autochtone et l'histoire commune des Les externats, la rafle des années 60 et d'autres actes d'oppression coloniale. La LHF a également des projets qui favorisent la revitalisation et la récupération culturelles pour soutenir le transfert des connaissances autochtones parmi les aînés, les gardiens du savoir et les jeunes dans le cadre de nos initiatives de guérison. La LHF travaille à développer l'empathie et la compréhension afin d'éliminer le racisme et de favoriser la réconciliation au Canada. Nous pensons qu'une véritable réconciliation nécessite des efforts et des actions cohérents, positifs et informés de la part de chacun.

To purchase the LHF’s Orange T-Shirt or to donate to the LHF, or for more information about the LHF visit the Legacy of Hope Foundation website at www.legacyofhope.ca. Our charitable number is 863471520RR0001.