Statement on the Kamloops Indian Residential School Burials

The recent news about the 215 bodies of Indigenous children found at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School is deeply painful but, sadly, not surprising, as residential school survivors, families, community leaders, and researchers have long recognized the reality that far more Indigenous students died in these schools than has been documented. Each of these children had a name, a family, and a community; they all had voices, laughter, dreams, friendships, and people they loved. We must not forget their humanity.

As Critical Indigenous Studies academic staff, faculty, and students in BC’s largest post-secondary educational institution, we are keenly aware of the many ways that education has been used against Indigenous peoples in this country and this province. We note, too, UBC’s part in supporting the residential school system, including the conferral of an honorary degree to Bishop John O’Grady, the principal of the Kamloops Indian Residential School from 1939 to 1952, as well as its ongoing work to account and make amends for that complicity. The weaponized and assimilative educational practices of the residential and day school systems are not simply a matter of the past, but are a continuing reality that inform the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this country. Education is only as good as its content and its teachers, and there remain too many people in Canada who want to deny this hurtful history and its ongoing impacts, and too many who would make excuses for the inexcusable. We cannot let this moment be met with resignation or, worse, refusal.

We offer our condolences to the families and communities impacted by the Kamloops Indian Residential School, especially the people of Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation, to all those wounded by this system, and to the children so long separated from more than thirty First Nations communities across BC and beyond. There are few Indigenous families in BC (or, indeed, in Canada) whose lives have not been touched by the violence of residential schools, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that our students and society at large understand this history in ways that speak truthfully about past injustice, work to strengthen Indigenous communities today, and help us realize a better future together.

For those seeking support in this profoundly difficult time, please contact the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. And for those seeking to know more about the schools and their legacies, please review the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, available online here.

Student Supports

  • The Hope for Wellness Help Line is open to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and offers 24-hour mental health counselling, via phone 1-855-242-3310 or chat Line.
  • Call 310-6789 (no area code needed) toll-free anywhere in BC to access emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health and substance use issues. Available 24 hours a day.
  • Indigenous UBC students can access support via the Student Health and Wellbeing portal.

Community Supports:

  • The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) offers support for Indigenous people (status and non-status) who have had members of their family attend residential school. Please review this information here.Here’s a list of service providers registered with health benefits at their website or call 1-855-550-5454.
  • The Hope for Wellness Help Line is open to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and offers 24-hour mental health counselling, via phone 1-855-242-3310 or chat Line.
  • The KUU-US Crisis Line Society operates a 24-hour provincial Aboriginal Crisis line for: adults, elders and youth. See more here.
    Adult/Elder Crisis Line: 250-723-4050
    Child/Youth Crisis Line: 250-723-2040
    BC Wide Toll Free: 1-800-588-8717
    Métis Crisis Line BC Toll Free: 1-833-638-4722
  • The Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) provides essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families, and to those dealing with intergenerational trauma. Call toll free: 1-800-721-0066.
  • The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres supports Aboriginal Friendship Centres across the province that support urban Aboriginal people. You can learn more about the Friendship Centre model, provincial initiatives and programs, and connect with local Friendship Centres here.
  • The Hope for Wellness Help Line is open to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and offers 24-hour mental health counselling, via phone 1-855-242-3310 or chat Line.
  • Call 310-6789 (no area code needed) toll-free anywhere in BC to access emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health and substance use issues. Available 24 hours a day.