Indigenous leaders in Canada conveyed a determined message Wednesday during commemorations for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as concerns arose following a white supremacist demonstration in a First Nations community in British Columbia’s Interior.
Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, addressed a gathering on Parliament Hill, emphasizing that survivors have long fought to protect their truths and challenge historical distortions. She highlighted the ongoing failure of the legal system to adequately recognize denialism, describing it as hatred disguised as free speech. Scott called on all Canadians to hold each other accountable and to view truth and reconciliation as a continuous responsibility and human rights obligation.
The day was marked against the backdrop of a recent incident in Kamloops, where masked individuals reportedly displayed a banner with the words “Got bones?” from an overpass. The banner appeared to cast doubt on reports of human remains found at former residential school sites. Rosanne Casimir, chief of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, shared that the community has endured previous online attacks and threats, including individuals bringing shovels to the area, prompting heightened security measures at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site.
In 2021, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of what are believed to be 215 unmarked graves through ground-penetrating radar at the site, a revelation that garnered international attention. Researchers at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation have since identified the names and dates of death for 63 children who died at the school.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak visited Kamloops on Wednesday to express solidarity with the community amid these tensions.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed annually on September 30, was established following recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report. The day honors survivors of residential schools and pays tribute to those who never returned.
The legacy of residential schools is marked by the separation of over 150,000 Indigenous children from their families from the 19th century onward, many of whom suffered abuse, malnutrition, and inadequate health care. Initially, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented 3,200 child deaths at these schools, though ongoing research suggests the toll may be higher.
On the same day, a memorial walk held by the Tsawwassen First Nation in British Columbia was cut short after a vehicle crash at nearby Tsawwassen Mills mall resulted in two fatalities. Authorities indicated that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency. Police confirmed the incident was unrelated to the memorial walk, which was subsequently ended out of respect by the community.
The annual Remembering the Children event on Parliament Hill, co-hosted by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation along with media organizations, featured testimony from survivors. Bernard Andreason, who escaped the Sttring Hall Residential School in Inuvik, spoke about the resilience of Indigenous identity and the importance of culturally relevant education.
“Take the Indian from the child. You can’t do that. It’s next to impossible,” Andreason said. He noted ongoing efforts in many communities to provide better education while maintaining children’s connection to home.
Jacquie Bouvier, a third-generation survivor and member of the survivors circle at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, encouraged Indigenous youth to recognize the strength inherited from past generations. She underscored the significance of speaking Indigenous languages, sharing teachings, and gathering collectively as acts of reclaiming what was once suppressed.
“Every time we speak our languages, share our teachings, gather with one another as Indigenous Peoples, we reclaim something that was meant to be taken from us,” Bouvier stated.