215

This is a high number. Numbers are like experiences; they are relative. Last month, the entire country was in shock when RCMP and ground-penetrating radar equipment found the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School (from here on in, I will be referring to it either as KRS or TRS). For those who might not know, from the late 1870s until 1996 (yes, you read that right), The Canadian Government, and then the Catholic Church (and at times, both) forcibly removed First Nations/Aboriginal/Indigenous children from their homes to be "educated" in a Residential School; which was in most cases, far from their homes. In some cases, the "school" was across from their family home. What happened there was nothing short of a prison (though I have read that in SOME cases, and probably few and far between the children had a semi-good experience). Not only were they forbidden to speak their language, wear their own clothes, have their faith, but they were abused, tortured and experimented on. In the heart of our city, there still stands the old "school" (I put that word in quotation marks, b/c they don't deserve to be called schools) that housed up to 500 (most likely at one time) kids; ages 3 to high school age. It was a Residential school until 1969, then it became a day "school", where although the kids could go home at night, they were most likely abused while there, as well. This is a dark and dirty secret of our country. As a Canadian, Christian, and Caucasian women, I am actually embarrassed! It gives the Church a bad name, and it makes ALL Christians look bad. That is NOT how Jesus loves and cares for His kids! 

I am sorry. I am sorry that this happened. On behalf of the Church, I am sorry. On behalf of my race, I am sorry. On behalf of my country, I am sorry. This was not ok. This was horrible. Deplorable. This is evil on all kids of levels. Evil in almost every form. I wrote this little blurb on IG the day or so after it happened, and I am going to share it here:

There are no words. ❣215❣ We mourn and weep with and for you at this heinous tragedy. We are listening. We are s.will speak up and out about this. We are doing our research. We are reading and remembering your history. We are remembering the lives lost. The last residential school closed in 1996/7. There were so many children who died while in these "schools". I am so, so sorry. Jesus heals and He sees you in your grief and trauma. He can heal and restore.

There is going be a special place in Hell for anyone who did harm to those children (I think there will be a special place in Hell for anyone doing ANY harm to any child). I cannot even fathom what they(you) must have (and are) going through. I am comforted that they are in Heaven, dancing with Jesus, but that does not make this loss any less bearable for the families.

Why didn't they bury them in marked graves, you ask? Well, simply put, they killed them. There is a cemetery for the children who died "legitimately" while in their care, but as for the rest? Well, they were told that they simply "ran away". Here is an article from CBC that can explain it better than I can..you can read it here. 

There is a ton more that I can say on subject, but I won't, mostly b/c I can't say it as we as our First Nations friends can. We must be learning and researching; we must rise and and comfort them; we must not sit idle. This cannot happen again. We must speak up and out for those who are unable to do so.

Here is another good article. This is from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (a group formed from 2008-2015 to listen to families and survivors of TRS; they created documents, etc for the. public to read and research) website...you can find it here.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4