The leaders of several First Nations groups are calling on governments to help them search the grounds of other former residential schools, following the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried at a school site in Kamloops B.C.
It’s believed the children’s deaths have gone unrecorded.
Flags across Canada are being lowered, including locally, to honour their memory.
The school was run by the Catholic church between 1890 and 1969, and had students from across B-C.
The Truth and Reconciliation Report, released in 2015, documented the deaths of at least 3,200 indigenous children at the schools, detailing the harsh treatment they had received.
Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod took to social media on Friday, upset with the lack of outrage over the deaths.
Im so upset at the lack of outrage in this country & the mere “sympathies” & “its heartbreaking“ attitudes as if that were enough. What would happen if 215 non-Indig kids were found buried in a school yard in Kamloops? Or your town? Im really trying hard not to hate right now.
— Zoongaabwi (@Chief_S_McLeod) May 28, 2021
The City of North Bay and the Municipality of West Nipissing are among those who lowered their flags on Monday.
Our flags have been lowered to half-staff in memory of the 215 children whose remains were found on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. The flags will remain lowered for a total of nine days – one hour for every child whose life was lost. pic.twitter.com/AfKue9zIOj
— City of North Bay (@cityofnorthbay) May 31, 2021
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald wrote on social media that the flags will be lowered for 215 hours to honour each of the children.
West Nipissing issued a statement:
“As a municipality that strives for inclusion and that does not support racism or violence, we can contribute to positive change,” wrote Mayor Joanne Savage. I encourage all organizations, businesses, stakeholders and fellow citizens of West Nipissing to honour the 215 children by lowering their Canadian flag or by any other significant gesture.”
The Near North District school board is lowering their flags until June 8 to honour the children, as well as acknowledge residential school survivors and their families.
Flags at NNDSB buildings will be at half-mast in honour of the 215 children whose remains were uncovered in a mass unmarked grave at a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. #everychildmatters pic.twitter.com/a5E0O8jI0A
— Near North District School Board (@NearNorthDSB) May 31, 2021
(With files from Norman Jack)