As of today, the bodies of more than 1500 Indigenous children and babies have been discovered at the former sites of residential and day ‘schools’ that were active as recently as 1997. There were hundreds of these ‘schools’ and only a handful of properties have been searched. It is only through the community funding of ground-penetrating radar technologies that these truths have been uncovered.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), approximately 3,000 bodies are yet to be recovered and returned to their families and communities, but survivors believe that number may reach 5,000. Indigenous peoples have always spoken of this truth, but it is only now that they have taken it upon themselves to bring these children and babies home, and that they are finally being listened to.
The institutions of this country knew of the missing and murdered children and decided to ignore this. They chose not to take formidable actions towards reconciliation despite the TRC's calls for action. These 94 calls to action list steps deemed necessary for Indigenous reconciliation.
Action items 71 to 76 call for direct actions to be taken regarding the children and babies that never returned home, buried at the sites of Indian Residential ‘Schools’ for several decades and some more than a century. The report has now been out for six years and we are still far from "reconciliation," a goal which means very little without action.
It is apparent now more than ever that the need for reconciliation has long been ignored by the institutions of this country and that the painful witness statements provided by the survivors of the Indian Residential ‘School’ system need to be listened to. Their stories have been ignored for over a century — until now.
UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Some of us are settlers and/or guests on this land, but we are all committed to reconciliation and justice for Indigenous peoples.
As UBC commits to the implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan, the institution must also recognize and take responsibility for past wrongs, including awarding honours to individuals who have been responsible for their part in colonial genocide. Certain honourees have inflicted direct trauma to residential and day ‘school’ students, resulting in intergenerational trauma from which their descendants still suffer.
This is not an issue that affected one generation: it has been happening since the first residential ‘school’ opened in the 19th century. As an institution that lobbied to have the Indian Residential School Dialogue Centre on the Vancouver campus, we are in a unique position as a university to take serious action regarding our past wrongs and commit to making amends for our institutional history and complicity in these harms.
The below-signed undergraduate societies and student leaders of UBC strongly call upon the UBC Senate to fully audit previous honorary degree recipients who were complicit in or have contributed to the genocidal system that was the Indian Residential ‘School’ system, including provincially and federally-run Indian Day ‘Schools.’
This is an official statement on behalf of the undersigned parties. Inquiries can be directed to Joshua Kim at vpexternal@aus.ubc.ca.
Signatories:
Joshua Kim, Vice-President External of Arts Undergraduate Society
Ghazal Rezaei, Associate Vice-President External of Arts Undergraduate Society
Linda Zheng, Vice-President Finance of Arts Undergraduate Society
Viola Chao, Vice-President Academic of the Arts Undergraduate Society
Connie Huang, Associate Vice-President Academic of the Arts Undergraduate Society
Emmanuel Cantiller, Arts Student Senator
Himani Ahmed, Vice-President Student Life of Arts Undergraduate Society
Ian Dominique Caguiat, Associate Vice-President Student Life of Arts Undergraduate Society
Laura Beaudry, Vice President Academic, Peter A. Allard School of Law
Elisha Fu, Vice-President Administration of Arts Undergraduate Society
Fatima Rua, Vice-President Internal of Arts Undergraduate Society
Golsa Moazedi, Associate Vice-President Internal of Arts Undergraduate Society
Kaitlyn Hagihara, Associate Vice-President Administration of Arts Undergraduate Society
Chelsea Bian, President of Arts Undergraduate Society
Renee Chan, Vice President Engagement of Arts Undergraduate Society
Mili Mathur, Associate Vice-President Engagement of Arts Undergraduate Society
Kamil Kanji, Alma Mater Society Representative of Arts Undergraduate Society
Jacob John, Associate Vice-President Finance of Arts Undergraduate Society
Alan Phuong, Associate Vice-President Finance of Arts Undergraduate Society
Romina Hajizadeh, Chief Alma Mater Society Representative of Arts Undergraduate Society
Annika Szarka, President of Kinesiology Undergraduate Society
Ahmed Masood, Vice-President Academic of Kinesiology Undergraduate Society
Angie Lu, Associate Vice-President Academic of Kinesiology Undergraduate Society
Michelle Yang, Vice-President Communications of Kinesiology Undergraduate Society
Nathan Kwok, Vice-President of Administration of Music Undergraduate Student Association
Teddy O’Donnell, Alma Mater Society Representative of Music Undergraduate Student Association
Sanjana Bedi, Alma Mater Society Representative of Arts Undergraduate Society
Emily Reid, President of Engineering Undergraduate Society
Patricia Melgar, Associate Vice-President Academic of Kinesiology Undergraduate Society
Lilyan Jia, Vice-President Academic of the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society
Tori Rose, President of the Music Undergraduate Student Association
Davey Li, Vice-President Academic of the Science Undergraduate Society
Christopher Dong, Associate Vice-President Academic of Science Undergraduate Society
Madi Fan, Vice-President Academic of the Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Yash Ahlawat, Vice-President External, Vancouver School of Economics Undergraduate Society
Grace Lee, President of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Rachel Kim, Vice-President External Affairs of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Melina Amirsharafi, Vice-President Academic of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Nicole Zhu, Vice-President Finance of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Thomas Kamiya, Vice-President Student Engagement of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Alison Lee, Vice-President Internal Affairs of Commerce Undergraduate Society
Nina Andrascik, President of Forestry Undergraduate Society
Prana Kurnia Eriyan, Vice-President of Media of Forestry Undergraduate Society
Adam Deutsch, Associate Vice President Academic of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Alisha Tumar Temirova, Vice-President External of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Jason Pang, President of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Louistrycia Kho, Vice-President Finance of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Sylvia Fernandez, Interim Alma Mater Society Representative of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Celina Chan, Senior Advisor of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Megan Liew, Vice-President Student Life of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Corey Sham, Associate Vice President Engagement of Arts Undergraduate Society
Harjot Uppal, Vice-President External, Science Undergraduate Society
Sheila Lam, Vice-President Internal, Science Undergraduate Society
Dayle Balmes, President, Science Undergraduate Society
Nathan Chang, Vice-President Administration, Science Undergraduate Society
Wendy Yang, Vice-President Student Life, Science Undergraduate Society
Caris Tin, Vice-President Finance, Science Undergraduate Society
Christina Cervantes, Vice-President Communications, Science Undergraduate Society
Michael DeMarco, Assistant to the President, Science Undergraduate Society
Johnston Wang, Associate Vice-President Communications, Science Undergraduate Society
Mathew Ho, Alma Mater Society Representative, Arts Undergraduate Society
Maggie Wong, President of the Visual Art Students’ Association
Lulu Wang, Sociology Representative, Arts Undergraduate Society
Alvin To, Vice President External of the Geography Students’ Association
Sofia Faugno, Associate Vice-President External, Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society
Brandon Wong, Associate Vice-President Administration, Science Undergraduate Society
Lorry Mackay, Vice-President Internal, Forestry Undergraduate Society
Alan Wang, Associate Vice-President Student Life, Science Undergraduate Society
Lisa W. White, Graduate Student Senator
Kaye Chan, Associate Vice-President Internal, Science Undergraduate Society
Andrew Feng, Associate Vice-President Internal, Science Undergraduate Society
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