In light of recent news out of B.C. that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found on the Kamloops Residential School site, Algoma University says it plans to take every measure to address the potential that there may be burial sites outside of the marked grave sites in the Shingwauk Cemetery.
The school says it will move forward alongside its partners in a culturally respectful and responsible way, using modern technology to oversee this work.
Algoma U also says it will release its updated commitments in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action at the board of governors' June 24 meeting.
The full statement from Algoma University and its partners reads as follows:
On Sunday, May 30, Algoma University (AU) along with a number of our partners, including the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students’ Association, Algoma University Students’ Union, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG), Shingwauk Education Trust (SET), and the Anishinaabe Peoples Council released a shared statement acknowledging the recent news of a mass burial site containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children was revealed at the Kamloops Residential School site in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
In light of what we have learned through the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announcement at the Kamloops Residential School, we are taking every measure, including the use of technology available to us today, to address the potential that there may be burial sites outside the marked grave sites in the Shingwauk Cemetery. It is incumbent upon us to do this work, alongside others who oversee portions of the Shingwauk site, and we will continue to move forward in a culturally respectful and responsible way.
Algoma University, along with our partners, are committed to addressing specific Calls to Action as laid out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. An update on Algoma University’s commitments to the Calls to Action will be released following the June 24 meeting of the Algoma University Board of Governors.
We are conscious of the shared history between our site and that of other residential school sites across our nation. The work on the Shingwauk site has been ongoing and through this work, we have identified that one hundred and nine people are known to be buried in the Shingwauk Cemetery, with seventy-two of those being students from the Shingwauk Residential School. The others are staff and people associated with the Anglican Church.
We recently worked with the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association to create an updated burial register which lists the names of each person buried within the cemetery. The University, and its partners, are committed to ensuring the ongoing care of the Shingwauk Cemetery, including the support of spiritual work led by Anishinaabe people at SKG and AU.
In 1971, the former Shingwauk Residential School became home to the then Algoma College/University. Over the years and more recently, Algoma has committed itself to improving relationships with Anishinaabe people. Given our current home and its history, Algoma University takes its responsibility to former students of both the Shingwauk and Wawanosh Residential Schools and their families very seriously.
We continue to be guided in our work by our partners and our spiritual advisor to ensure that our work is done in a good way, building upon the tremendous work of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association and the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre staff.
Shingwauk Site Partner Quotes:
“As a community, we acknowledge the impact this news has on both Anishinaabe and non-Anishinaabe people. We will continue to address the intergenerational trauma brought upon by the residential school era and its ongoing impacts on survivors and their successive generations. We have been and will continue to be, committed to receiving guidance from the Children of Shingwauk and our Indigenous partners. We continue to be guided through ceremony while utilizing the teachings and cultural protocols provided by our spiritual advisor to support our efforts.”
- Asima Vezina, President and Vice-Chancellor of Algoma University
- Mary Wabano-McKay, Vice-President, Nyaagaaniid - Anishinaabe Initiatives, Equity & Student Success
"We grieve with the local IRS survivors and support the efforts of our communities coming together to support all those affected. We wish to extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the families and survivors of the Kamloops Residential School in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. Recognizing that many people are triggered by the news, we also want to encourage our community members who require support to access services available through our health and wellness programs in Batchewana First Nation and Garden River First Nation.”
- Chief Dean Sayers, Batchewana First Nation
- Chief Andy Rickard, Garden River First Nation
“The Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students’ Association and the Algoma University Students’ Union understand the impacts of the recent discovery of a mass burial site of 215 children at the Kamloops Residential School. Our hearts go out to the families and communities as they grieve this loss of the children who never came home, and whose absence will forever have an impact on the community. This discovery, as heartbreaking as it is, should lead to further investigations of possible burial sites on residential school properties across Canada. Our people have shared stories through the TRC about what they had seen and heard about what happened to some of those children.
Algoma University has committed to a trust relationship with local Indigenous communities since its early years as a college to its current status as an independent university. In the spirit of that trust and commitment to reconciliation, Algoma University indicated its support for the residential school survivors and the trauma that continues to reverberate across communities and across the country. SASA and AUSU call for a concerted effort by Algoma University to ensure that the property be fully examined under the direction of the Anishinaabe partners to find all burial sites located on the property.”
- Angela Trudeau Day, SASA President
- Rebekah Gwynn, AUSU President
“The Algoma University Board of Governors are heartbroken with the recent findings of a mass burial site containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children in Kamloops. We collectively are reflecting on the impacts to our communities, including the survivors of the Shingwauk and Wawanosh Indian Residential Schools. We are committed to listening and supporting our communities through sharing, healing and learning.”
- Shelley Schell, Chair of the Board of Governors
“The tragic news of the discovery of additional lost lives at the former Kamloops Residential School once again brings to the forefront of everyone’s mind the indignities that Indigenous communities suffered in the past and continue to struggle with. We recognize that the anguish of our Indigenous friends, colleagues, and neighbours is multi-generational, and we will continue to walk beside them on their path to healing, and will attempt to be leaders in reconciliation.”
- Dr. Laurie Bloomfield, Speaker of Senate
“We, the full-time and part-time faculty members of the Algoma University Faculty Union - OPSEU Local 685 acknowledge and stand with the survivors of the residential school system; we grieve the loss of lives done in the name of genocide. We commit ourselves to the work on educating and facilitating the knowledge about residential schools to our students and our communities. We call on the governments to support the survivors and their communities with the necessary resources to make sure that all the children are found.”
- Dr.Myles Frederick McLellan, President
- Dr. Deborah Woodman, Vice-President, Full-time unit
- Professor Tony Fabiano, Vice-President, Part-time unit
“As members of the OSSTF District 35 Algoma University Support Staff, we are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of 215 Indigenous children recently discovered at the Kamloops Residential School site in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. We grieve the loss suffered through the residential school system, and we are committed to joining other partners on the Shingwauk site as part of our ongoing efforts to address the impact of the residential school system in our community and beyond.”
- Bev Teller, President
- Michelle Dayboll, Vice-President