5/31/2021 discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children found on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops, BC.Read Now We are deeply saddened by the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children found buried on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in BC, at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. This is a heartbreaking discovery for Indigenous communities across Canada, reminding us that Canada cannot simply erase its “dark past” entailing the inhumane treatment of the Indigenous peoples as it has attempted to by means monetary compensation and public services as reconciliation. Canada is built on the foundation of cultural genocide committed against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and as a country we must not forgive and forget this atrocity. For decades, families have searched and longed to be reunited with their children that were murdered under the church and state, the children that would today be elders in their communities encompassing their rich and vibrant culture and languages. Since the mid 19th century, up until the last school closure in 1996, Indigenous children were taken from their homes and placed in residential schools in hope of kicking the “Indigenous” out of them and assimilating them into “Canadian” culture. These aren’t the only Indigenous children that were forced out of their homes only to never one day return – and those who did end up walking free were subjected to a lifetime of trauma that has been passed on for generations and will continue for more to come. We must honour the lives of these 215 children, the thousands of other children who were documented and never forget the children who are still unaccounted for.
In memory of the 215 children killed under the establishment of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, Sports For Smiles will be donating 215 soccer balls to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. The soccer balls stand as a symbol of unity, solidarity in which we settlers and immigrants to this sacred land stand, in memory of these children’s youth – and for all survivors of residential schools. Sincerely, The Sports For Smiles Team |
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AuthorFounder & President of Sports For Smiles, Janeva Shahi here! Just keeping everyone in the loop about everything SFS! Check the site regularly for more updates, and don't forget to check us out and like us on social media! (Listed under "Contact") Archives
May 2021
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