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Articles on Indigenous children

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A rock with the message ‘Every Child Matters’ painted on it sits at a memorial outside the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, in Kamloops, B.C., in July 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

We fact-checked residential school denialists and debunked their ‘mass grave hoax’ theory

Contrary to what some ‘denialists’ believe, research shows that Canadian media outlets did not help circulate a ‘mass grave hoax’ regarding unmarked graves at former Indian Residential Schools.
Ceremonial tipis sit in front of the former residential school, Blue Quills, now the home to Blue Quills university run by seven First Nations. (Terri Cardinal)

Residential school deaths are significantly higher than previously reported

The author led a search for unmarked graves at the site of Blue Quills, a former residential school. She found more areas of interest (potential graves) than the official record shows.
The Blue Quills Indian Residential School in St. Paul, Alta., Aug. 15, 1931. When the federal government announced plans to shutter the school in 1970, the community fought back, and Blue Quills became the first residence and school controlled by First Nations people in Canada. (Provincial Archives of Alberta)

Inside the search for the unmarked graves of children lost to Indian Residential Schools

To honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, we spoke with Terri Cardinal, who headed up one of the many community searches for the children who went missing while attending an Indian Residential School.
A bus blocks Argyle Street South in Caledonia, Ont., as a group of labour councils and unions delivered food and support to land defenders at a land reclamation camp known as 1492 Land Back Lane in October 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

This Canada Day, settler Canadians should think about ‘land back’

Settler Canadians have a responsibility to build respectful, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous nations on our shared geographic space. This relationship starts with land restitution.
Two people embrace in front of the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa at a memorial for the 215 children whose remains were found at the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Unmarked graves of 215 Indigenous children were found in Kamloops a year ago: What’s happened since? — Podcast

In today’s episode of Don’t Call Me Resilient, we take a look at what has happened since the unmarked graves of 215 Indigenous children were found in Kamloops B.C.
AFN Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse and Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu listen to Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller as he responds to a question during a news conference on Jan. 4, 2022, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

As a lawyer who’s helped fight for the rights of First Nations children, here’s what you need to know about the $40B child welfare agreements

In the next year, public support will be needed more than ever to ensure that the spirit of the agreement is respected and translated into meaningful change for First Nations children.
Shoes and toys line the steps of a building in Edmonton in honour of and mourning for the Indigenous children found in unmarked graves in Canada. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson

The discovery of Indigenous children’s bodies in Canada is horrific, but Australia has similar tragedies it’s yet to reckon with

The recent discovery of the bodies of Indigenous children being found in Canada reminds us of the dark history of Australia’s treatment of young First Peoples and children here in Australia.
Margot King, age four, touches an orange flag, representing children who died at Indian Residential Schools in Canada, placed in the grass at Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa, on July 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Honour those found at residential schools by respecting the human rights of First Nations children today

Canadians who wish to pay tribute to the children who died at Indian Residential Schools should demand the government stop fighting First Nations children in court.
A person lays shoes on the steps of city hall in Kingston, Ont., at a memorial for the 215 children whose remains were recently discovered on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Why many Canadians don’t seem to care about the lasting effects of residential schools

Canadians need to understand the basic harms and violences that continue to be experienced by Indigenous people across the land we call Canada.
People across Canada, including this scene in Edmonton, have left shoes and candles at public displays in recognition of the discovery of children’s remains at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

No longer ‘the disappeared’: Mourning the 215 children found in graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School

Ground-penetrating radar located the remains of 215 First Nations children in a mass unmarked grave, revealing a macabre part of Canada’s hidden history.
The system of ‘birth alerts’ across Canada perpetuates the removal of children from Indigenous families begun by residential schools. Pictured here: a historical report on residential schools released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

British Columbia’s ban on ‘birth alerts:’ A guiding light on the road to reconciliation

To make meaningful progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, all provinces and territories should promptly follow B.C. and ban discriminatory ‘birth alerts.’
The antibiotics commonly used to treat school sores, a skin infection affecting thousands of Aboriginal kids, are out of stock. Terry Trewin/AAP

Antibiotic shortages are putting Aboriginal kids at risk

Almost half of Aboriginal kids living remotely will have a school sore at any one time. But there aren’t enough of the right antibiotics to treat them.
Parenting programs and home visiting programs can offer vital support to mothers struggling with mental illness, substance use, and other challenges. Research shows that avoiding foster care is better for the health of mother and child. (Shutterstock)

Foster care damages the health of mothers

New research shows that having a child in foster care is often harmful to a mother’s mental and physical health.
In some Aboriginal communities, over 50% of adults say they do not have the literacy they need for everyday tasks. Literacy for Life Foundation/Adam Sharman

To lift literacy levels among Indigenous children, their parents’ literacy skills must be improved first

The children who are least likely to attend school regularly – and do well – grow up in households where the adults themselves have very poor literacy skills.

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