The Langara Faculty Association (LFA) expresses our sincere sympathies to the families and communities impacted by the horrifying confirmation of a mass grave of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Territory. We wish to share our deepest condolences with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, and at this shocking and sad time, we mourn with you. It is important that we acknowledge the brutality and ongoing impact of past actions and never allow them to occur again. We call on all Langarans to reach out and provide support to our colleagues, the campus community, and the community at large to help the healing and recovery.
We know that this traumatic news has adversely impacted many of our members, and we are here to support you in any way we can. In particular, we want to reach out to our Indigenous faculty members, and offer our assistance in getting the supports you may need. Please contact an LFA steward or any member of the Board and we would be glad to help.
Additionally, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide 24/7 support for residential school survivors and those affected: 1-866 925-4419.
The BC-based KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides a 24/7, toll-free crisis line that is First Nations and Indigenous-specific: 1-800-588-8717 or online at kuu-uscrisisline.com.
To all our relations, in solidarity and support,
Pauline Greaves Aylward, LFA President, on behalf of the LFA Board