News Release
For Immediate Release
September 30, 2023
(Lheidli T’enneh Territory, Prince George, BC) – The BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) invites all British Columbians to consider how they can honour the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and commemorate those who did not survive.
“Today is a day for reflection on the horrific legacy of residential schools in Canada,” said BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee. “So many people in my life bear the invisible scars of trauma from these so-called schools, and many more suffer intergenerational trauma passed down to them. These crimes were not part of some distant past – survivors are all around us, and institutions from the RCMP to the Ministry of Child and Family Development continue to display systemic racism,” he continued.
Between the 1880s and 1996, over 150,000 children attended residential schools. The Government of Canada’s original intent was to strip Indigenous children of the culture, traditional values, and their languages – to “kill the Indian in the child.” Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse were common occurrences at these schools, with well-documented cover ups by the churches who ran the schools often protecting perpetrators of these heinous acts. The Indian Residential School system was part of the attempted genocide against Indigenous peoples that continues to this day.
“I honour the survivors who continue to share their stories and uncover the truth of these schools. I encourage all British Columbians to find events in their communities where you can come together to show your respects to these survivors,” concluded Regional Chief Teegee.
Orange Shirt Day is also marked on September 30th, which draws its symbol from Phyllis Webstad, a survivor of residential schools who had her prized orange shirt taken from her by school administrators. Wearing orange today is a way to show your solidarity with survivors.
While Canadian institutions may claim to have good intentions, they continue to target First Nations people as demonstrated by overrepresentation in prison, poverty rates, and children in care. Nationally, over half of children in care are Indigenous, while Indigenous people make up only 7.7% of the population. Indigenous people are also nine times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous people. The BCAFN takes part in a long tradition of First Nations activists and organizations who constantly work for meaningful changes to address these continuing injustices.
If you have been impacted by residential schools and need to talk to someone, please call the Indian Residential School Survivors Society 24-hour crisis line at 1 (800) 721-0066.
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For further information, contact: Annette Schroeter, Communications Officer. Phone: (778) 281-1655.