Monday, June 7, 2021
Content warning: Genocide, Death, Violence, Abuse
The Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) expresses deep sorrow for the 215 murdered Indigenous children found in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Residential School site on the land of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation people. These were not simply schools, but instead, centres of state-sanctioned genocide, to erase Indigenous culture and to steal the lives of hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people.
We recognize that for many survivors of Residential Schools, the experiences of abuse and knowledge of murdered children are well-known. First and foremost, we listen to the voices of survivors and reaffirm the truth of their experiences regardless of whether or not investigations were conducted by non-Indigenous actors. The recent discovery only confirms what we have long known about the violence of the Residential School system and Canada’s colonial enterprise, as Indigenous peoples have narrated to us.
It is important to recognize that the systematic erasure of Indigeous peoples is not a part of the past, but instead continues into the present, as the legacy of trauma is intergenerational and persistent in nature. The legacy of Residential Schools is continued with the forceful removal of Indigenous children from their communities and homes into foster care.
The discovery also raises the question of why the burden of the search fell onto the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation people instead of the government, and why Canada has continuously perpetuated the silencing of its genocide. This burden of advocacy should not fall onto the Indigenous community.
We would also like to acknowledge UofT’s history as a colonial institution, and the role of its denominational colleges in training clergy who would later administer Residential Schools. Additionally, we point out the position of UofT’s non-Indigenous students as settlers to a nation built on the systematic erasure of Indigenous peoples. As beneficiaries of the current Canadian state and an institution such as UofT, we are all responsible for actively learning about the history and ongoing erasure of Indigenous peoples, and most importantly, hold ourselves accountable by taking action to dismantle systematic oppression.
To our Indigenous students, we are here to hear your concerns and offer support to you in the best way that we can. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime.
With Solidarity,
The ASSU Executive
For any students in need of professional support during this time, we direct you to a few resources below:
Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Guide on Solidarity and Support:
https://tkemlups.ca/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Support-TteS-June-3-2021-v2.pdf
Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report (2015) http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Mental Health Resources for Survivors, families, and those dealing with intergenerational trauma:
Indian Residential School Survivors Society (counselling, support, workshops, and traditional healing): 1-800-721-9966 (toll-free, 24/7), https://www.irsss.ca/
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (24/7): 1-866-925-4419
KUU-US Crisis Line Society for those within B.C. (24/7): 1-800-588-8717
