On May 31st, Montrealers gathered at Jeanne Mance park for a drumming ceremony commemorating the lives of the 215 Indigenous children and youth found buried in a mass grave at Kamloops residential school, BC. This residential school operated until 1978, and many survivors that attended the Kamloops establishment are speaking out about the abuse they suffered at the hands of administration and teachers. For many community members, the tribute was also a space for grieving in the face of continued discrimination and trauma. Tributes for the victims of residential schools are being held across the country along a persisting call for criminal investigations into the findings, research on the number of Indigenous lives lost in residential schools, and the full impact these government institutions had on Indigenous communities. Video by Emanuele Barbier (@emanuelebarbier_)
