Our condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation, to the survivors of residential schools, and to those who did not survive. Condolences to the countless who have been affected, and continue to be affected, generation by generation by these terrible colonial institutions.
Since details of this horrific discovery have been made public, there has been information-sharing of some helpful resources by many groups on social media and in the news. I have compiled some basics that may be helpful to you or others you know.
First Nations-specific Support lines, and support for all those affected by residential schools:
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line - Set-up for former students and all those affected by residential schools. Access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides a First Nations and Indigenous-specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free from anywhere in British Columbia -KUU-US Crisis Line - 1-800-588-8717; Child/Youth Crisis Line at 250-723-2040 ; Adult/Elder Crisis Line at 250-723-4050, Metis Crisis Line 1-888-638-4722.
For those seeking information to further their own reconciliation efforts, or looking for a place to begin, the Truth and Reconciliation Final Report and Findings are available free online.
To read the full report, visit the Truth and Reconciliation website at www.trc.ca. On the main page, click “TRC reports and findings.” Under the heading, “The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Reports,” you can scroll through all of the reports, and select by volume.
If you have trouble accessing the website, please call us at 604-885-4088 and we can help you navigate the website, or print out any parts you are interested in reading, no matter how long.
You can also contact your local library to see if they can get you a copy. You can also purchase the various volumes online.
If you effect change through monetary donations, consider helping further reconciliation efforts by making a donation of any size, or legacy donations in your will, to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society.
Website: www.irsss.ca/donate or call 604-985-4464 or 1-800-721-0066.
Please let us know any resources around reconciliation you think we should have on hand. We will make note of these so that we may share with others.
Angie Theilmann is an information and referral specialist at the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, your community information hub. Do you have a question? Just Ask Angie! Email: angie@resourcecentre.ca
