Flags Lowered To Half-Mast Honouring 215 Indigenous Children

Canada and the world still in shock of the mass grave found in Kamloops, B.C

Today Canadians honour the 215 Indigenous children buried in a mass grave near the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. 215 Indigenous innocent lives were stolen and the hearts of families loved ones and a nation will forever remain broken.

Residential schools represent one of Canada’s darkest moments in history. From 1883 to 1998, over 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and placed into residential schools. These schools cause physical, emotional and psychological harms to the Indigenous community.

The purpose of these schools was to eliminate Indigenous language, culture and way of life. In 1920 all Indigenous children between the age of 7 to 15 were required to attend residential schools as dictated by the Indian Act.

“To honour the 215 children whose lives were taken at the former Kamloops residential school and all Indigenous children who never made it home, the survivors, and their families, I have asked that the Peace Tower flag and flags on all federal buildings be flown at half-mast.” Tweeted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Closure, many families of residential school survivors never received closure. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, and what are the best steps moving forward. Will the bodies of the children be exhumed and given a proper burial after all efforts have been made to identify their Family members. Or will the grounds remain untouched and become a memorial site.

These are all tough conversations the Canadian government will need to have with the Indigenous community and until that happens, our thoughts and prayers lay with the 215 Indigenous children and their families.

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