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May 29, 2021 Horror in Canada where the remains of 215 children, some as young as three years old, were found near a school. They are members of the native community and the school in question is Kamloops Indian Residential School, in British Columbia. The institute, one of the largest in Canada, and active until the late 1970s, was part of a network of schools founded by the Canadian government and administered by Catholic Churches that removed indigenous children from their culture to assimilate them to their own. 



The little ones were forced to convert to Christianity and were not allowed to speak their native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused. A commission established in 2008 found that many never returned home, the same year the Canadian government apologized for the past, while the Truth and Reconciliation report in 2015 spoke of "cultural genocide". The Missing Children Missing Children project has documented the deaths of over 4,100 children. Indigenous leaders cited that legacy of abuse and isolation as the main cause of the rates of alcoholism and drug addiction on the reservations. 



The community of the ethnic minority 'Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc' is now in shock after the discovery of the new mass grave.

Kamloops Indian Residential School, one of the largest in the country, began operations in the late 19th century under the management of the Catholic Church before coming under government control in the second half of the 1960s and closing its doors in 1978.




An "unthinkable loss that has been talked about but has never been documented" has been confirmed, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc community president Rosanne Casimir said Thursday evening: "Last weekend, with the help of a georadar , the stark truth of the preliminary results has come to light. Confirmation of the remains of 215 children who were students of Kamloops Indian Residential School. "   



"My heart sank - commented yesterday a former student of that school, Harvey McLeod, during an interview with CNN -. It was so painful to finally hear what we thought was happening there." This story, he added, "is so unreal, but yesterday it became real for many of us in this community." Casimir pointed out that the remains found belong to children whose deaths "have never been documented". A circumstance, this, confirmed by McLeod, who for decades wondered what happened to some of his friends and classmates.  



Investigations will continue in collaboration with the British Columbia coroner's office and the government has ensured that the remains will be safeguarded and identified. According to the report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, many of the children who attended these schools did not even receive adequate medical care, and some died of tuberculosis. 



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that "the news that the remains were found in the former Kamloops residential school breaks my heart, it is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter in our country's history. all who have been affected by this distressing news. We are here for you. ''



The news that remains were found at the former Kamloops residential school breaks my heart - it is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter of our country's history.

I am thinking about everyone affected by this distressing news.

We are here for you.

https://t.co/ZUfDRyAfET

- Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 28, 2021