Troy Shantz
Children’s shoes and teddy bears surround a monument to residential school survivors at the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, following the recent discovery of children buried in unmarked graves at a former B.C. school.
The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the discovery of the remains of 215 children after ground-penetrating radar was used at the former residential school near Kamloops.
Children’s footwear and tobacco offerings were left at the Tashmoo Road memorial.
“Our hearts go out to the children, their families and the entire Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation as they come to grips with this horrific tragedy,” Aamjiwnaang administration and council said in a statement.
Indigenous researchers say 161 Aamjiwnaang members were sent to residential schools. Many attended the Mount Elgin Indian Residential School near London and the Mohawk Institute near Brantford.
Memorials of children’s shoes were also left at the fountain at Sarnia City Hall and flags were lowered to half-mast across the city and the country.
