Cote First Nation students honour children who died at Kamloops residential school
Students from a Saskatchewan First Nation took time Wednesday to remember children who died at residential schools and honour the 215 children whose remains were found in Kamloops, B.C.
The students and staff at the Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex on Cote First Nation near Kamsack wore orange shirts and placed flags in memory of the children who died.
“We are here to show that we care, we remember, and that we will always think about them”, said Jonas Cote, principal at Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex.
The memorial began with prayers, followed with speeches from elders, the chief and council. In their speeches, the speakers explained to the students the impact that residential schools have had within the community and the many lives lost because of it.
“That is always going to be there. They are always going to remember that and it just symbolizes as First Nations, we care about our youth, our young people, and our history,” said Jonas.
The students also heard from a residential school survivor, Reginald Severight, who them about the abuse he experienced at residential school. He explained it wasn’t until a decade later, while in recovery, that he understood the long-term adversity it caused.
“I got into recovery about 40 years ago from addictions [and] dysfunctional living. I didn’t realize why I was using so much drugs and alcohol, and I was in a prison system since I was 15 till I was 22,” said Severight.
The Cote First Nation hopes moving forward, the community can come together and pave the way for future generations positively.
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.