Today, we join with millions across Canada who are mourning the loss of the 215 children found buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in an unmarked mass grave. We honour the memories of these children who were stolen from loving parents and families, and we offer our respect and our prayers for healing to the Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc community, and to all residential school survivors.
The discovery of this atrocity is another painful reminder of the genocidal violence of Canada’s residential school system, and underscores the urgency of addressing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
As a college founded by the descendants of Mennonite settlers and built on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples, Grebel is committed to the ongoing work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, which includes decolonizing our historical narratives, our educational offerings, our minds, and our hearts. I call on all members of our college community to learn about this unjust history, and the ways that we are implicated in it.
Sincerely,
Marcus Shantz
President, Conrad Grebel University College