Unifor mourns the loss of the 215 children found on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory who perished in the custody of the Kamloops Indian Residential School.
The discovery confirms what community survivors have said for decades—hundreds of children went to the school and never returned home. This is true of at least 6,000 Indigenous children who attended residential schools across the country. The mass grave is a horrific reminder of the scale of the colonial violence that still haunts survivors and their families today. Canada is far from done reconciling its murderous history of residential schools. Reconciliation is important for being accountable to both Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and all communities and families that are affected. Unifor supports the call of Indigenous leaders for a nationwide probe of former residential school sites. The federal government must ensure Indigenous communities have the resources to find answers about missing children as outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s “Missing Children’s Project”. Unifor understands that solidarity is the key to truth and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people in Canada. Unifor is committed to using its bargaining power, mobilizing power, and political power to bring about transformative change. What Unifor members can do:
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc
Whichever action you take, please share your work with the National Office and on social media so others can follow our example to do their part in reconciliation. View the statement on our website here. Jerry Dias *** |