Treaty 6 Confederacy Stands With Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Against Hate

By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations is standing with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, residential school Survivors and Indigenous families following what it describes as racist and hateful actions near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School this weekend.

In a statement issued September 28, the Confederacy condemned the gathering and the subsequent display of a banner that mocked the search for children who never returned home from the residential school.

“There is no justification for targeting Survivors, families and Indigenous peoples with white supremacist hatred and the mockery of children who never returned home,” the Confederacy stated.

The organization said the decision to gather near the former residential school and later display the banner was deliberate and deeply disturbing, particularly because it occurred only days before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

The statement expressed support for Kúkwpi7 Rosanne Casimir and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, while calling for meaningful action against racism, white supremacy, hate-motivated conduct and residential school denialism.

The Confederacy also identified residential school denialism as a form of hate, arguing that attempts to deny or minimize the residential school system attack Survivors’ experiences and contribute to further harm against Indigenous families and communities.

“Indian Residential School denialism is hate,” the statement said.

The Confederacy called on the federal government to recognize residential school denialism as a hate crime and ensure that it is punishable under Canadian law.

For residential school Survivors and families, the statement said, the continued need to defend the historical truth of the residential school system creates another burden for communities that have already carried generations of trauma.

“Survivors and families should not have to continue defending the truth of what happened to their children,” the Confederacy stated.

The former Kamloops Indian Residential School became a national focus in 2021 following the announcement by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc that ground-penetrating radar had identified what were described as 215 potential unmarked graves near the former school site. The findings renewed national attention on residential school history, Survivors’ testimony and the search for children who did not return home.

The Confederacy said that attempts to mock, deny or minimize that history cannot continue without consequence.

It reaffirmed its support for Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors and families continuing to seek answers while honouring the children who never came home.

The statement concluded with a direct message:

“There is no place for this hate.”

The Confederacy also reminded anyone affected or distressed by the incident that crisis support is available through the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 and the Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310, both available 24 hours a day.