215
The world is a real mess. But if you think about it, it always has been. The struggle I see is that it’s harder for us to ignore.
The discovery of the Kamloops 215 is an affirmation of a generational tragedy. The shock of the discovery failed to get the reaction it was deserved. There was frustration on social media about the government’s lack of a response attempted to compare this loss to the Humbolt accident of 16 teenage hockey players who lost their lives in a traffic collision. You may as well compare the black to white. The reality is, these are two completely different types of shock, one being a surprise and the other not being.
The tragic bus accident was that an accident, an incident without maleficence or years of intentional neglect. The shock is based on an element of surprise; an accident occurs out of the blue.
The discovery of the 215 mass grave of indigenous children at the Kamloops residential school is shocking but not a surprise. Learning about residential schools over the past few years has been like opening spoiled leftovers from the fridge. You know it's rotten inside, and hold off on opening it because you want to avoid the awful smell. So learning of the grave, as horrible as it is, didn't surprise me.
The government and social climate of the time are the root cause of this discovered tragedy, a tragedy that is generations long, and the loss of lives is immensely more than 215. Each discovery adds to a pang of sadness and despair that can no longer be dismissed.
As a fourth generational European settler, these stories and tragedies make me more aware of my privilege and blessed life I have because of the colonization of Canada. I wasn't the cause, just the outcome. What is my role and place to be part of the reconciliation process?
Listen, learn, and lift indigenous voices.
Be better every day at creating a supportive community for all.
Advocate for history is to be uncovered in the truth of the victims, not the spoil of the colonizers.
Encourage and support initiatives that document, educate, and memorialize the consequences of colonization.
There is no turning back the clock and making a different decision. What we do have the power to do is to embrace our failures so we can learn from them and be better.
