It has only been 29 years since the last residential school in Saskatchewan closed. It has not even been half a century and it demonstrates how fresh the wounds are from the pain and struggles Residential school survivors endured. I believe the best way to prevent retraumatization is to focus on Indigeneity and embrace their talents and bravery. Redirecting the attention toward Indigenous accomplishments and highlighting their culture is essential in today’s media censorship.
In mid-June 2023, CBC News reported that denialists, people who were in ‘denial’ of the outcome of the 2021 burial site investigation, trespassed the now sacred site to maliciously exhume or dig up the remains so that they can ‘see for themselves’. The denialists brought shovels on the site and documented the residential school grounds without consent. To deny and miniscule the psychological, mental, physical, and sexual abuse of Indigenous children are the objectives of these denialists. The group’s unlawful entry, lack of respect for the deceased and their willingness to disobey cultural protocols show the extent of hatred and discrimination ‘denialism’ is built upon. Even though almost 4 years have passed since the tragic discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, the mourning and fight for justice persist as First Nations communities continue to stand for their truth and reconciliation.
To have a deeper understanding of Indigenous injustices, we must listen to their stories and today’s podcast can help you attain a broader percpetion on these issues. This podcast episode features Tanisha Terry, a Secwépemc and Nigerian student at Thompson Rivers University. Tanisha voices her perspectives on Indigenous censorship in the media, the denialist incident and even speaks on behalf of her grandfather – a Kamloops Indian Residential School survivor. Her disposition will make you understand the harsh outcome of residential school trauma for survivors’ families. Though her Poppa’s neglect and conditioned mentality prevent Tanisha’s unwavering love to be reciprocated, she understands that most people who have gone through a tragedy like her grandfather has, unfortunately “stay in that dark spot” emotionally.
I hope you enjoy listening to this episode of the Tragic Truths of Kamloops podcast!
Works consulted:
Content warning: reader discretion is advised as the following story contains distressful details
215 unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School with the help of a ground-penetrating radar specialist. Verification of the remains of the Indigenous children buried beneath the school’s premises were announced by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc in late May 2021. The Canadian government and population were forced to confront the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous communities after the Kamloops discovery attracted attention.
Residential schools’ ill intended goal of having complete dominance over Indigenous children through erasing any relations to their family, identity, and culture is reflected in the lack of documentations regarding their passing. This is due to certain Catholic entities not perceiving these children with any respect nor dignity. Verbal accounts of survivors and community members mention this cultural erasure, raging physical and sexual abuse of innocent children, which is consistent with the investigation’s devastating outcome.
Prior to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) launch in 2008, the Catholic church denied accusations of any awareness about an unmarked burial site at Tk’emlúps. The Catholic church was comfortable to leave the 200+ children labelled as ‘disappeared’ until their corpses were uncovered in 2021. Due to this tragedy being overlooked initially when the TRC commenced, families of the survivors and Indigenous communities suffered an unparalled, prolonged, and delayed grief without proper closure. Commemoration and custodianship of the deceased Indigenous children have been initiated by the surviving relatives, Nations, and communities after the report’s release. Any support, services and resources should be provided to these families as they cope with their losses and memorialize their dearly departed.
The lasting trauma of the residential school system, the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada, the amplifying cries for justice and reconciliation have all been illuminated by this tragedy. The harsh truth serves as a wake-up call for the country as it instigates national reflections.
Author Anecdote: The Kamloops Indian Residential School prohibits photography of the sacred site where the unmarked graves are located. Therefore, no visual of it is featured in this blog post. Please remember to respect their wishes when visiting.
Coburn, V. (2021, June 10). No longer the disappeared: Mourning the 215 children found in graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/no-longer-the-disappeared-mourning-the-215-children-found-in-graves-at-kamloops-indian-residential-school-161782
Dickinson, C., & Watson, B. (2021, May 27). Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc say remains of 215 children found at former Kamloops Indian Residential School. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-emlúps-te-secwépemc-215-children-former-kamloops-indian-residential-school-1.6043778
Hi, I am Riya, a second-year student studying Communications at Thompson Rivers University(TRU). I am an international student from India and coming to Kamloops made me interested in the history of the place and its past with indigenous people. During this semester my investigative partner Macy will be mainly focusing on The Chinese Cemetery and its history. Our whole group is keen on researching and getting to know more about these places than we know. Throughout the semester we will be covering various landmarks such as the cemetery, Indian Residential School and Tranquille Sanatorium. Our main aim is to highlight the relevance of these places and their stories today and foster a deep understanding of their aftereffects on the community and their collective memories.
Hi, I am Macy Block, a second-year student at Thompson Rivers University studying arts! While the creation of Tragic Truths of Kamloops is part of my Journalism course, the content of my exploration of the Chinese Cemetery in Kamloops, British Columbia is more than just coursework to me! This is because one of my passions is studying Canadian history so I am intrigued to take a deep dive into the dark historical truths surrounding the history of the cemetery. Throughout this website my co-writers and I will share the facts contextualizing why locations such as the Tranquille sanitorium, the Chinese cemetery and the residential school in Kamloops have “dark” histories. Along with giving you these facts about the cemetery, my reporting partner Riya Patel and I, hope to find new stories to share, compellingly broadening the awareness of T.R.U. ‘s population about their own communities’ history.
Hello, I am Rayne Dallas a second-year transfer student at TRU in the Communications and Digital Journalism degree. I am excited to write informational stories about Kamloops Residential School not only for this course load but also because I believe that this is a time in Kamloops past that should be known and talked about in the present. I believe it is important that the community of TRU knows about the events that have helped shape this town good or bad, and knowing the history of not only the city but Canada as a whole is always good for its citizens. Throughout the course, I am excited to take a deeper dive into the residential school with its history and facts to bring to you truly compelling stories. Every town has its version of “tragic truths” but learning from them is the way that generations can grow from the past.
Hello, I’m Luigi Guilles, a second-year international student from the Philippines. Before coming to Canada, I lived in Qatar for over a decade where I did my highschool studies – though I was born and raised in the Philippines until the age of 8. I have always loved media and am an active social media user, therefore it was only fitting for me to get a higher level of education on my interest. Though this course is a requirement for my degree, I find that attaining journalism skills is essential in networking and preventing the spread of misinformation.
Studying at Thompson Rivers University has enlightened me on Indigeneity, the Indigenous culture and also about Land Acknowledgement which is new knowledge to me as the academic curricula in both Qatar and Philippines lacked this. As I learned more about Kamloops History and the Secwépmec culture, it intrigued me to write stories on the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and further explore the real tragedies that accured in such a discriminatory institution. Tragic Truths of Kamloops aims to shed light on these strories and as an author I hope to provide our audience authentic and engaging news!
Hi, I am Maria Schrauwen, a second-year Arts student at Thompson Rivers University studying English! For my journalism class, myself and my team will be working on a project called Tragic Truths of Kamloops, where we explore the history of significant places around the city. One of the main focuses my partner Kendra and I will be looking into is Tranquille Sanatorium, a location with a complex past. We are learning about its history and the experiences of the people who were there, uncovering some powerful stories that have been forgotten. In addition to the sanatorium, the rest of the team will be investigating other important sites around Kamloops, such as the Chinese cemetery and the residential school; to gain a deeper understanding of the local history and the impact it had on the community. Through this project, we hope to share these stories in a way that honours both the people and the events that shaped our city, all while also helping others connect to the past in a meaningful way.
Hi, my name is Kendra Andjleic, a second-year student from Winnipeg, Manitoba, currently studying at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, where I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Psychology intending to become a psychiatric nurse. For our group project on Tragic Truths of Kamloops, I’ve chosen to focus on the Tranquille Sanatorium, a historic and eerie site just outside the city. Built in 1907 to treat tuberculosis, it expanded throughout the early 20th century and could house over 300 patients at its peak. As society progressed and we developed cures, the sanatorium was closed and turned into a mental health care facility. The sanatorium was abandoned in the 1980s and has become famous in Kamloops for its haunting reputation. My partner Maria and I hope to delve into this and get real stories of what happened before it was abandoned and why it is supposedly haunted.