Hundreds gathered to mark anniversary of the discovery of unmarked graves at Kamloops residential school

Hundreds of people gathered at the Tk̓emlúps Powwow Arbour on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of the announcement that potential unmarked graves had been found at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

The ceremony was a day long event to honour the children who lost their lives while being forced to attend residential school.

The nation refers to the children as Le Estcwicwe̓y̓, which translates to “The Missing.”

The ceremony included an opening prayer followed by dances, cultural performances, drumming, speeches and closed with an evening prayer.

“Far too many felt like it was like a wound being re-opened and that painful legacy of the Residential schools came flooding back,” said Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the ceremony late Monday. He was met with angry chants as he proceeded with his remarks.

“I’m here with a simple message,” Trudeau said. “We are here for you. We will continue to remember the children who never returned and to support one another as we walk forward together on the shared path of reconciliation.”

My message to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc today was simple: I hear you. We’re here for you. We’ll always remember and honour the children who never came home, and we’ll walk forward together on the shared path of reconciliation. We’ll continue to listen, learn, and take action. pic.twitter.com/9vpNchSugk

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 24, 2022

Currently, the ongoing investigation into the Kamloops area is ground-penetrating radar of the rest of the site, not excavation.

The Canadian government and the Catholic Church issued apologies and acknowledgment in light of the discoveries. The Pope issued an apology earlier this year and is planning on making a trip to Canada in the summer. the trip will involve visits to First Nations communities, but there is no plan for him to visit British Columbia.

Many investigations were spurred across the country since the discovery at Kamloops one year ago. The Mohawk Institute in Brantford is one residential school currently being investigated for unmarked graves. The city of Brantford recently called on the federal and provincial governments and the Anglican Church to release all records related to the former residential school.