Last week, unmarked graves containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children were discovered at a former residential school in Kamloops, BC.
This tragic news painfully reminds us of the damaging and heartbreaking legacy that the residential school system continues to have on Indigenous people, their families, and communities. The work of reconciliation begins with an understanding of the history of our Indigenous population, Indigenous perspectives and experiences, treaties, agreements, and the history and legacy of residential schools.
“As a school system that promotes citizenship, we support the ongoing work to know the full truth of what occurred at residential schools, so we can move forward with meaningful reconciliation and a positive future”, says Lynn Ware, Board Chair.
We join with the rest of the country in mourning the previously unacknowledged loss of these many young lives. In memory of these children and to honour their lives, The Wetaskiwin School Division will fly flags at half-mast for 215 hours—an hour for each child—from May 31 to June 8 inclusively.
To further demonstrate our shared belief that Every Child Matters, we invite all members of our school community to join us in wearing orange shirts on Wednesday, June 2.
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