Statement on Kamloops Indian Residential School
June 01 2021
On behalf of the Ontario College of Teachers, I would like to express our deep
sadness at the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the
Kamloops Indian Residential School this past week. Our thoughts and
condolences are with the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and
all Indigenous communities across Canada.
The fact that this heartbreaking finding coincides with National Indigenous
History Month is a powerful and stark reminder of Canada’s dark and
painful past.
The past is not history. For more than a century, Indigenous children were
taken from their families, forced to live at residential schools and had their
identities stolen from them. Generations of Indigenous communities have
suffered and continue to live with the legacy of intergenerational trauma,
sadness and pain.
Yet through all this, guided by their narratives, traditions and teachings,
Indigenous communities have always shown strength and resilience. They
continue to show us how to find light in the darkness, to be steadfast to
truth, and to face the inequities that persist to this day.
As the regulator of Ontario’s teaching profession, we shape and provide
for Ontario’s initial teacher education and continuing teacher education
programs, while providing advice on professional practice and educational
leadership. Infused into every aspect of our work is our ongoing and
long-standing commitment to anti-oppression, equality, and inclusion.
As lifelong learners, educators have a responsibility to be culturally
responsive and to make positive changes part of our classrooms and learning
spaces. As a society, we must confront, address, and understand this shameful
chapter in our country’s story. This is something we must do for the
stolen children of the past, so that Indigenous children will be supported
today with hopes for a stronger tomorrow.
Dr. Derek Haime, OCT
Registrar and CEO
Ontario College of Teachers
