Our Kids Network is situated on the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Traditional Territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat peoples.
Our Kids Network empathizes with the incredible grief and heartbreak of the families and communities mourning 215 children whose remains were discovered in an unmarked grave at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School. We send our deep sympathy to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation. We hold you in our hearts and we honour the lives of these 215 children, and those children who survived.
As a network of caring professionals who work with children and families every day, we believe passionately that every single child matters, and has the right to thrive. Canada’s Residential School system was purposely designed to remove and isolate children from their loving families, traditions, and cultures to assimilate them into the dominant culture. This horrific discovery exposes Canada’s long history of the inhuman and violent treatment of Indigenous families and children, and this continues today.
We all must take responsibility for the care and wellbeing of all of Canada’s children. June is National Indigenous History Month, and Our Kids Network calls upon you to face the Truth about the Indian Residential School system so that you can take meaningful action towards Reconciliation.
“Reconciliation begins with oneself and then extends into our families, relationships, workplaces and eventually into our communities.” Reconciliation Canada
Christine Hartley
Executive Director
Our Kids Network
Angela Bellegarde
Indigenous Lead
Our Kids Network
If you are a Survivor and need emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: Residential School Survivor Support Line: 1-866-925-4419.
Links:
APTN news story
CBC news story
OKN Residential School blog
Mohawk Residential School Tour
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
