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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.