On May 31st, 2021, an unmarked mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children was discovered on the grounds of a residential school in Kamloops, BC. We are heartbroken for these children, and for every residential school survivor.
If you are in need of assistance, a toll-free, 24-hour crisis line has been established by the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society:
1-866-925-4419
You can also contact Hope for Wellness, a toll-free 24-hour helpline and Online Chat Counseling Service for all Indigenous people in Canada. Counselling is available in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut
If you want to learn more about residential schools in Canada, please read the summary report from the Truth And Reconciliation Commission. We also encourage all Canadians to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action.
If you are in a position to do so, we encourage you to support Indigenous Authors, Makers and Entrepreneurs. You can also donate to charities and foundations that provide support to survivors of residential schools, including:
If you cannot support residential school survivors financially, you can visit OnCanadaProject.ca/settlerstakeaction for actions you can take, as well as educational resources for non-Indigenous Canadians. You can also sign the petition for a National Day of Mourning.