Forever Loved, Forever Remembered: Place, Memory, and Residential School Sites...
- Ayesha Anderson
- May 19
- 2 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Place carries memory. Across Canada, former residential school sites have become places of mourning, remembrance, truth-telling, and resistance. The announcement by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops, British Columbia regarding the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children forced many Canadians to confront the ongoing realities of colonial violence embedded within both history and landscape.
For Indigenous peoples, these residential school sites are not simply locations of the past. The land itself holds grief, memory, spirit, and intergenerational trauma connected to the children who never returned home. These places continue to shape Indigenous communities and relationships to land across generations.
As an Indigenous woman from the Kwakiutl Nation and surrounding communities, I was horrified and deeply saddened by this discovery. We must acknowledge this atrocity as part of Canada’s ongoing colonial history and recognize the devastating impacts these systems continue to have on Indigenous peoples and communities today.
In the media, you may have heard about Ethan Bear, an Indigenous National Hockey League player with the Edmonton Oilers. Ethan, who is a proud member of the Ochapowace First Nation, publicly took a stand against racism after receiving hurtful messages on social media. His action inspired many to join the social media movement #IStandWithEthan. I am posting this because I feel it is important to demonstrate that I am standing beside and behind my fellow Indigenous allies and my solidarity by wearing a jersey with his name on it.
As I reflect on the over incarceration and over-policing of Indigenous communities I am reminded of the seven grandfather teachings, we must seek to listen, learn and support those who have been impacted by racism in our community. The devastating news out of Kamloops and Ethan Bear’s story are reminders that we as a society have more work to do. In Canada, June is National Indigenous History month and June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time to focus on the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. As part of moving forward, we must acknowledge the Truth and Reconciliation journey and Anti-Racism commitment.
I wanted to post this to encourage everyone to do their own learning, connect with their community, and engage in conversations. As Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, once said, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it” (NCCIE, 2026). It is everyone’s responsibility to take care of each other. I wanted to reach out and show my respect and honour the lives of these 215 Indigenous children who lost their lives.
Since this was posted, there have been other discoveries. I wanted to take a moment to honour the lives of these Indigenous children who never made it back home to their families.
For more information:
For Support:
Adults/Elders (250-723-4050)
Child/Youth (250-723-2040)
Toll free (1-800-588-8717)
Métis Line (1-833-MétisBC)
References
NCCIE. (2026, May 23). Reconciliation and NCCIE. NCCIE. https://www.nccie.ca/reconciliation-and-nccie/.
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