Remains of 215 children found in mass grave at former Canadian residential school

"Each child has been forever taken from a family and a community that loved them."

The bodies of over two hundred children were found on the site of a former residential school this weekend. A B.C. First Nation confirmed that the remains of 215 children, who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada, have been discovered after using ground-penetrating radar. Between 1863 and 1996 over 150,000 children went through the residential school system in Canada. Since their closure in the 1990s, many survivors have come forward with horrific accounts of the abuse they suffered at the hands of those running the schools. It is unknown how many children died while living at the residential schools. In a statement, Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation Chief Rosanne Casimir called the discovery of the mass grave an "unthinkable loss that was spoken about, but never documented by the Kamloops Indian Residential School." Also speaking on the heartbreaking finding B.C. Premier John Horgan issued the following statement;

"I honour Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc as they grapple with this burden from a dark chapter of Canadian history and uphold their commitment to complete this investigation over the coming weeks – bringing to light the full truth of this loss. Each child has been forever taken from a family and a community that loved them. This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. And it is a stark example of the violence the Canadian residential school system inflicted upon Indigenous peoples and how the consequences of these atrocities continue to this day."

A National Indian Residential School crisis line has been set up in Canada to provide support for former Residential School students and those who have been affected.