‘Our hearts are broken for these innocents’

Sadness, anger, outrage, shock, frustration. We have each reacted in our own way to the tragic and horrifying news that the remains of 215 children were found in a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Our hearts are broken for these innocents, and we send our condolences to members of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation and to our Indigenous sisters and brothers across the country still suffering from the legacy of residential schools.

CWA Canada joins in the calls for the truth of this tragedy to be fully uncovered as demanded by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

At times like this, it is important to share our grief and emotion. Here is some of what CWA Canada members at our largest Local, the Canadian Media Guild, have shared:

• “It had a devasting impact on Indigenous families, they tried to kill our spirit. Thankfully it survived.”
• “Who takes children from their homes? It was racist then, and to not be outraged is racist today.”
• “It was barbaric, and now everyone can see proof of what happened. Sadly, the foster system is also proof systemic racism against Indigenous people still exists.”    
• “This is just one of 139 schools — how many unmarked graves and remains of children would be found if you searched the grounds of the other 138?”
• “Canada owes justice to those souls as a step towards truth and reconciliation, as outlined in 71 to 76 of the Calls to Action.“
• “It hurts your whole being, can you imagine someone taking your child away? I can’t bear to think about it.”
• “We see the impact of it every day, so many problems we still see are a direct result of the trauma inflicted through generations of children taken from their parents.”
• “There are still homes without water, or basic services in Canada, how is accepting that not racist.” 

Peace and love,

Martin O’Hanlon
President, CWA Canada