It's More than 215 Pairs of Shoes: Mourning Residential Schools in Canada
With the devastating, yet not surprising news of the confirmation on the graves of 215 indigenous children at a former residential school in Kamloops, BC we are starting National Indigenous History Month in the most horrible way.
215 pairs of shoes, teddy bears, lowered flags, and other tokens of grief started popping up all over the country to both signal the mourning of this horrible news and to create a visual of what we lost. While we are aware you can’t see what’s already gone, thinking about the impacts becomes overwhelming. 215 kids who have 430 parents; 860 grandparents… the loss grows exponentially. I think about the 20 something former sites in my home province of Saskatchewan and my heart breaks wide open again for the immeasurable traumas of the families living alongside mine.
In our society where seeing is believing, those few left denying the genocide of our first peoples can no longer do that. No chance. Our leaders can and must act. We neighbours must understand our own, complete history from first nations, Metis, and aboriginal peoples mouths and do something to help heal.
Here’s a few things you can do today
Contact your MP and MLA and demand reconciliation action for all Canadians.
Sign a Change.org petition.
Familiarize yourself with 2015’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and resources.
Wear orange for awareness and support.
Talk with loved ones about this horrid truth.
(Safely) join in the celebrations June 21 for our annual National Aboriginal Day.
Update your socials with Indigenous creator content.
Check in with your friends.
Support your local first nations, Metis, and aboriginal peoples.
If you choose to look away and hope this sad news coverage all goes away, I hope you take a minute and realize all the folks who don’t have that same privilege. They lost their children. And their children’s children. Enough.
