(Ottawa, ON) May 19, 2022 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) would like to acknowledge the one year anniversary of the uncovering of a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School. It has been both a somber but eye opening year as the truths Indigenous Peoples have known all along were finally being brought to light and sparking an international conversation about the horrors witnessed by Residential School Survivors and those who were not fortunate to survive the brutal and horrific treatment while attending these institutions. We remain devastated as more mass graves have and continue to be discovered across the country and acknowledge the courage and strength of Survivors as these painful experiences are brought to the forefront of mainstream thought.

This year long tragedy has underscored the need to continue to honour the Indigenous Children who were deprived of their right to a childhood and a full life. Unfortunately, all evidence points to the fact that there still remains more Indigenous children yet to be found and whose bodies were never located or acknowledged. It is imperative that every single one of these children be found and given the honour that they and their loved ones deserve.

Residential Schools were established in 1883 by the Canadian Government in order to “get rid of the Indian problem.” Up until 1997, 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, and underwent severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Because of the abhorrent levels of neglect and malnutrition, coupled with the high rates of disease, Indigenous attendees faced mortality rates that ranged from 40% to 60%. Throughout the sordid history of residential schools, a reported 4,100 children are believed to have perished, although that number could be as high as 15,000.

“It has been a bittersweet year since the uncovering of these unmarked mass graves, the tragedy of these young lives sparked international attention and shined a light on the experiences and stories of Residential School Survivors and a piece of Canada’s dark history. The support shown by non-Indigenous Canadians in solidarity has been heart- warming and their eagerness to learn about these experiences has been a great first step towards achieving justice and overall public awareness,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF.