The remains of 215 children discover in an unmarked grave on the grounds of a former residential school. Most of those deaths appears to be undocumented. As Canadians we are the tragic history of the colonization of Canada and the subsequent efforts to wipe out indigenous populations and identity  but again this week the magnitude of our sins have been uncovered.

We must name this history.

We must grieve with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc communty. 

But we must also make reparations to repair what we can.

This year we have seen the Canadian government pour billions of dollars into efforts to ease the pain caused by the covid 19 pandemic. And that’s what our government should do when people are at risk. Yet after promising in 2015 to provide clean drinking water to all First Nations community still 58 active boil water advisories exist on First Nations lands across Canada. Neskantaga First Nation, has been living with a drinking water advisory for 26 years.

Of course we grieve the news from BC but we dare not ask for forgiveness until we are ready to make amends and ensure that not another indigenous child has to get sick or go thirsty or be forgotten needlessly.

Consider contacting your MP and MLA to advocate for clean water or making a donation to the INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SURVIVORS SOCIETY or the ABORIGINAL FRIENDSHIP CENTRE OF CALGARY.