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Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Canada mourns the unthinkable loss’ as remains of 215 children found at former indigenous school site

OTTAWA: In the gruesome findings, the remains of at least 215 children were found in Canada’s Kamloops Indian Residential School – the former largest residential institution.

The discovery of 215 minors, some as young as 3-year-olds, seemed to be a plot of a horror-thriller movie, but it’s real, and it’s one of the rare incidents unearthed in the North American region.

The unmarked and previously forgotten graves, all belonging to children who succumbed at the Kamloops Indian Residential School have found. The graves were uncovered after a preliminary survey of the lands was ordered.

The remains were confirmed last weekend with the help of ground-penetrating radar, Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation’s Chief Rosanne Casimir said in a news release. Adding that, ‘more bodies may be found because there are more areas to search on the school grounds. At this time, we have more questions than answers’.

The release further stated that ‘the initial findings are expected to be released in the near future- probably in next month. As for now, the tribe is working with the coroner and museums to try to find the specifics of one of the horrific discoveries.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to his official handle to address the heart-wrenching discovery. ‘The distressing discovery of the remains breaks my heart. It is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter of our country’s history’, the caption of his tweet reads.

Canadian Member of Parliament and Relations Minister Carolyn Bennet also commented on the distressing moment. She extends all possible support to the families and indigenous communities.

Cultural Genocide

According to the existing information about the cultural genocide in the late 19th century in Canada, the Kamloops Indian Residential School was at the top of 139 boarding schools. At least, 500 students were registered and attending the institution at one time.

Catholic Church, on behalf of the Canadian government, operated these schools between the years 1890 to 1969. More than 150,000 Indian, Metis, and Inuit children were forcibly enrolled in these institutions. The enrolled individuals were then abused, both physically and sexually, by faculty and administration that stripped them of their culture and language.

The commission report suggested that the students were forced not to speak their native languages or even performing cultural practices.  The same report added that the students were exposed to measles, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases, and many succumbed following the poor living conditions with no treatment.

More than 3,000 residential school deaths remained unaccounted due to destroyed files also the number of total fatalities may never be known.

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