Our idea of Canada shaken to the core

Is this your Canada?

Around the world, Canada and the Canadian flag are known to represent a welcoming, kind and polite country; Canada is known as a country with a strong democracy; it is known to be a country that values diversity; it is known to be wholesome, fair and just; it is known to be an international peacekeeper that upholds human rights. And of course, it is known to be a great place to live. And it is … for many people.

For many Canadians, this idea of Canada — as just, fair and kind — may have been shaken to the core in May 2021.

On May 27, 2021, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reported the likely existence of unmarked burials for over 200 precious children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Final Report gathered testimony from survivors of Indian Residential Schools who were forcibly taken from their families and communities and placed in these state-funded and church-operated institutions. Many survivors have spoken about the areas where the children who were killed or died while in the care of these institutions are buried.

Is this your Canada?

It is suspected that there are unmarked burials on the lands associated with every former Indian Residential School across the country and on the lands of other institutions that worked closely with these institutes. Survivors, Indigenous leadership and communities are doing careful and heart-rending work to locate, recover, protect and commemorate these burials. This sacred work will continue for years to come, and the news of each recovery should continue to horrify Canadians.

Is this your Canada?

I have had the great honour of working with survivors for many years. I have heard them share their experiences of being at Indian Residential Schools, most of which were dehumanizing and traumatic. I have heard some of them talk about friends who were there one day then disappeared the next. I have heard some share their memories of being forced to dig the graves of children who died. I have heard many speak of the abuse, neglect and mistreatment perpetrated on them by those that were entrusted with their care.

In my role as Special Interlocutor, I carry in my heart all the children who were forcibly taken from their parents and communities by the Canadian state and placed in Indian Residential Schools. I am guided by all the survivors who have passed on and those who walk among us. I honour all the children whose spirits have not yet had the opportunity to journey home to rest with their ancestors. I share the anger of those families who were left wondering what happened to their children, who searched and searched for them, and whose questions went unanswered.

A Better Canada?

Since Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc shared their news of recovery in May 2021, many Canadians have been thinking carefully about what Canada represents. Many Canadians have taken an active role in reconciliation by educating themselves and engaging in tough reflections about Canada’s history.

Asking themselves whether Canada is living up to its promises to and with Indigenous Peoples.

What the flag means to me on this Canada Day is opportunity — opportunity for meaningful change and action. I am committed to working with respect and humility to obtain justice for the missing children. This will be a challenging and tough journey ahead for all of us — Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. But we must carry all of Canada’s history on our shoulders as we journey forward, together, in a spirit of truth, justice and healing so that we can build a Canada that lives up to its worldly reputation.

It has been said that the spirits of these little ones have woken the nation. I trust that in the future I will be able to look at the Canadian flag and think of Canada as a country that is kind, fair and just. But I know that I will not be able to do this until every missing child has been found.