Category Archives: Indian Residential School

Defeat Denialists: A Candid Conversation About Importance of Indigenous Awareness and Deconstructing Denialism

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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:

Wyton, M., (2023, June 16). Residential school denialists tried to dig up suspected unmarked graves in Kamloops, B.C., report finds. CBC News.

The History of Kamloops Residential School: A Dark Chapter in Canadian History

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The town of Kamloops was once the location to one of the more tragic times in our country’s history, as it was once the largest running residential school in Canada operating from 1890-1978. It was under the control of the Catholic Chruch trying to forcibly teach the ways of western civilization onto the Indigenouse peoples. The School has become a Symbol to Canada to not forget to what happened to Indigenous children across the country.

The school is located on the land of the Tkèmlúps te Secwepmc First nations, and is only one out of 130 schools that were once operating in Canada. These schools were known for the harsh living conditions, the physical and emotional abuse that the children faced, neglect from the staff, and the attemps to earse the Indigenous languages and cultures. As children were forced to move away from their families and homes to be concluded to mistreatment and forced into labour.

In 2021, the month of May, 215 unmarked graved were discovered at the kamloops residential school site, this not only shocked the country but gathered international attention. The graves sites were believed to be the resting place of Indigenous children who have passed during the time of the schools operation, it is said to be from dieases including tuberculosis, and malnutrition from neglect or abuse. This discovery engaged a nation wide act of reconciliation with Canada’s history of colonialism and the impact it has had on the Indigenous communities.

Surviving families of residential schools have had to live with the trauma from their experiences for years, but it was not until 2015 that the Truth and Reconiliation Comissions report put the tragedies of residential schools in full effect. The graves discovered at at Kamloops left a reminder to the emotional and physical pain that Ingienous people are left with from residentials schools, as it not only effects just the people directly at the schools, but also their families for many generations to come.

Works consulted

Parks Canada. (2025, February 12). The Former Kamloops Indian Residential School National Historic Site. https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/pensionnat-kamloops-residential-school

Tatum, S. (2021, May 28). Remains of 215 children discovered at former residential school in Canada. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/28/world/children-remains-discovered-canada-kamloops-school/index.html


Unmarked but not Forgotten: 215 Missing Indigenous Children Found Buried

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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.

Works Consulted:

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