Video posted by Kanahus Freedom Manuel.
Castanet.net reports: “Hundreds gathered at Chief Louis Crossing [on the Yellowhead Highway in Kamloops, British Columbia from where the Kamloops Indian Residential School can still be seen] on Tuesday [September 29] with drums and songs to ‘cleanse the area’ in response to a masked demonstration on Sunday [September 27] that has drawn strong condemnation from leaders across Canada.”
The Canadian Press reports: “Beginning in the 19th century more than 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada were separated from their families and communities and sent to church-run residential schools where abuse, malnutrition and inadequate health care were rampant.”
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) notes: “By the 1880s, the federal government had adopted an official policy of funding residential schools across Canada. The explicit intent was to separate these children from their families and cultures. In 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at Indian Residential Schools compulsory for Treaty-status children between the ages of 7 and 15.”
APTN National News has reported: “At least 3,200 children died at the schools, but the actual number is larger, closer to 6,000 if not higher, but extensive gaps in records related to deaths in the system may keep a final and conclusive tally hidden forever.”
On May 27, 2021, the Tkemlúps te Secwepemc First Nation announced that ground-penetrating radar had found more the 200 suspected children’s’ graves on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
In February 2026, the Canadian Press reported: “Whether to dig at the site has been a fraught question, with no agreement among survivors of the institution. Some have said they see exhumation as a process to help lay victims to rest, while others don’t want the site disturbed.”
This statement from the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc explains: “Any remains would need to be repatriated to their home communities, an extremely complex and sensitive process involving extensive consultation with the Nations, DNA analysis, forensic expertise, and adherence to appropriate laws and protocols.”
Yesterday, APTN News reported: “A public demonstration by the white nationalist group Second Sons of Canada on land near the Kamloops residential school site over the weekend sent shockwaves across the country.”
Castanet.net reports that a “community cleanse” featuring drummers, singers, dancers, community members and allies was organized on Tuesday September 29 in response to the white nationalist group protest.
CFJC News reports that event organizers stated: “Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is home to Survivors, descendants and families profoundly affected by the residential school system. Our community has survived attempts to remove us from our lands, languages, families and cultures but we are still here. White supremacy, racism and hate have no place on Secwépemcúl’ecw.”
We continue to follow this.
