WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.
The prime minister will be in Kamloops, British Columbia, on Monday to attend a special ceremony marking the anniversary of the opening of hundreds of alleged unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school.
Details of Justin Trudeau’s participation in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Le Estcwicwéy̓ (Missing) memorial were released Sunday night.
Trudeau is expected to attend the all-day memorial and meet with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kúkpi7 (head) Rozan Casimir and council members.
He is also expected to speak to the media at the event.
A memorial in front of the Kamloops Indian Residential School is pictured on June 4, 2021 (Ben Nelms / CBC)
Monday marks one year since the First Nation BC confirmed the discovery of potential unmarked graves on the site of a former Indian housing school in Kamloops, prompting more in-depth investigations and more searches across the country.
Preliminary information obtained by ground penetration radar in May 2021 showed that there could be up to 215 unmarked children’s burials near the school, although experts later said they suspected the number could be much higher. -large, as only a small part of the site has been studied.
The National Center for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) said based on death records that about 4,100 children had died in residential schools in Canada, but the actual total was much higher.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a large number of indigenous children who have been forcibly sent to residential schools have never returned home.
Le Estcwicwéy̓ (The Missing)
The Kamloops Indian Housing School operated from 1890 to 1969, when the federal government took over from the Catholic Church to run it as a day school residence until it closed in 1978.
Up to 500 children from the communities of the first nations in British Columbia and beyond would be enrolled in the school at any time, according to the NCTR.
Monday’s event begins at 5 a.m. PT at Tk̓emlúps Powwow Arbor with a sunrise ceremony followed by prayers and songs throughout the morning. A song, dance and celebration will end in the afternoon, with a closing prayer at around 19:00. It is open to the public.
In October, Trudeau visited the nation Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc and personally apologized for not responding to an invitation to join the community for the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.
Trudeau is pictured with Tk’emlups Kúkpi7 (Head) Rosan Casimir during a gathering in front of the former Indian School of Housing in Kamloops, British Columbia, October 18, 2021 (Ben Nelms / CBC)
According to the findings, the federal government has allocated more than $ 320 million to search residential school sites and support survivors and their families.
In January 2022, the government struck a deal with the NCTR to hand over thousands of documents to housing schools.
Pope Francis has confirmed plans to visit Canada in July, and although he will not stop in Kamloops, he is expected to make an official apology to the survivors and their families on behalf of the church.
Support is available to anyone affected by the lasting effects of the resident school and to those triggered by recent reports.
A national Indian housing crisis line has been set up to provide support for housing school survivors and others affected. People can access emotional and crisis services by calling the 24-hour National Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.
Do you have information on unmarked graves, children who have never returned home, or school staff and operations? Email your advice to the new Indigenous CBC team investigating boarding schools: WhereAreThey@cbc.ca.
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