SUP-IFPTE Local 160 Members Mourn with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation

The Society of United Professionals members mourn with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and all Indigenous people as we continue to bear witness to the horror and tragedy that was Canada’s Residential School System. Last week, the remains of 215 Indigenous children whose remains were discovered at a burial site at Kamloops's former Indigenous boarding school in BC. 

The discovery of these missing children is a reminder of the horrors of the Canadian residential school system, the last of which closed in 1996. It also confirms the knowledge of community survivors who said for decades that hundreds of children who were brought to the school went missing. 

This is a painful reminder of not just Canada’s racist legacy with respect to the Indigenous peoples on this land, but the ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. 

Canada must live up to its obligations to Indigenous people. The Society calls on the federal government to continue to enact the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  

As a nation we failed these children and their families. We know this truth. We must continue the work of reconciliation if we, as a nation, wish to demonstrate that in Canada every child matters. 

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide 24/7 support to residential school survivors and others who are affected. Call 1 (866) 925-4419.