害羞草研究所淚f there are stories to be told, let people talk.害羞草研究所�

That was part of Splatsin Chief Wayne Christian害羞草研究所檚 message after the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found at the former site of a Kamloops residential school.

The discovery is a stark reminder that the residential school system in Canada was in place as recently as 1996, and that while many of its survivors are living in First Nations across the country, many others did not survive.

On Thursday the Tk害羞草研究所檈ml煤ps te Secw茅pemc First Nation said new technology allowed for the discovery of the burial site, and forensic experts are continuing work to identify the individual children.

That work could eventually lead to the repatriation of those children to their communities and families, but right now, Kukpi7 Christian says it害羞草研究所檚 time to offer support to those in the community still reeling from the 害羞草研究所渦nimaginable and horrific害羞草研究所� news.

害羞草研究所淔or those of you who went to the residential school and are survivors, I want to really ask you to think about the support you may need,害羞草研究所� he said in a video shared with the public Friday.

害羞草研究所淏ecause it really is about you 害羞草研究所� you survived that horror, and it害羞草研究所檚 important that you get what you need. And I know that many people (have) parents, grandparents, aunties or uncles or siblings that attended this school, or what they called a school.害羞草研究所�

Some may want words of encouragement; others may want to tell their own story.

害羞草研究所淟et them let it out, because a lot of people still won害羞草研究所檛 talk about the horrors that took place here. A lot of people were not believed that there were actually burials at this place,害羞草研究所� Christian said. 害羞草研究所淭his confirms what our people have always said.害羞草研究所�

The Splatsin chief said news of the discovery 害羞草研究所渒nocked me off my stride for a while,害羞草研究所� and he害羞草研究所檚 still reeling. He said it害羞草研究所檚 hard to explain the anger chiefs are feeling right now.

害羞草研究所�(We) want to hold the governments accountable, but also the church, for what happened to the little ones.害羞草研究所�

Christian has been working with other chiefs to organize a ceremony within the Tk害羞草研究所檈ml煤ps te Secw茅pemc first, and then to all First Nations.

The band is also working around the challenge of coming together in mourning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e trying to do as much as we can to get our people together physically, to mourn the death of these 215 babies,害羞草研究所� Christian said.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in the midst of COVID and it makes it even more difficult because we害羞草研究所檙e trying to find out, how do we do this? And I害羞草研究所檓 sure that a lot of communities haven害羞草研究所檛 had our second vaccination yet 害羞草研究所� so we害羞草研究所檙e trying to accelerate that process.害羞草研究所�

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