NAN Offers Condolences as Remains Found at Former B.C. Residential School Site

THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Derek Fox, on behalf of the Executive Council, expresses heartfelt condolences following the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former British Columbia Indian Residential School:

“We are very saddened to learn that the final resting place of so many innocent children have been discovered at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these youth and the entire Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community. Even after all these years there are new tragedies of the Residential School system coming to light. We commend the Knowledge Keepers and the families for their perseverance to uncover the truth behind the terrible loss of these young children. This discovery shows how the legacy of the Residential School system continues to impact the lives of Residential School survivors and the families of those who never returned home.”

Kamloops Indian Residential School operated from 1890 to 1969. Approximately 500 children from British Columbia and other parts of the country attended. Only 50 deaths were reported to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as of 2008.

The TRC’s Final Report concluded that a soldier had a better chance of surviving the Second World War, than a First Nations student had of surviving the Residential School system.

For more information please contact:
Michael Heintzman,
Director of Communications
Cell: (807) 621-2790
mheintzman@nan.ca