We wish to affirm our sense of dismay, injustice and anger at the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children who died far from their parents and families, unbeknownst to them, in tragic circumstances. The School of Social Work and the Kinistòtàdimin Circle wish to communicate to the members of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis of Canada our deep feelings of solidarity and empathy in this difficult time as well as our commitment to work in close partnership to develop social work programs aimed at denouncing and correcting the historical and contemporary harm they experienced. We are also committed to raising awareness of the realities of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and to introduce significant changes in our School that give Indigenous paradigms, knowledge and worldviews the important and essential place they must occupy in Social Work education. Their contributions must be further recognized and valued. The School of Social Work and the Kinistòtàdimin Circle wish to work tirelessly to ensure the culturally safe education of social workers in order to bring the truth to light, train responsible and competent allies, and work side by side for justice, advocacy and the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples.
Statement from the University of Ottawa’s School of Social Work and Kinistòtàdimin Circle regarding the discovery of the remains of 215 children in Kamloops, on the territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community
The University of Ottawa’s School of Social Work and Kinistòtàdimin Circle wish to express their support for the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada and to all of our Indigenous sisters and brothers.