In light of the heartbreaking news confirming a burial site of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School last week — one of many such institutions where settler individuals over decades mistreated and murdered Indigenous children — we are pausing our virtual events and online activities on social media to reflect on the different forms of violence perpetuated by the settler-colonial state.
As an organization embedded in colonial systems, we recognize that we, too, are implicated in reproducing harmful settler patterns that are systemic and enduring. We recognize the importance of committing to a pathway of learning and unlearning that will be long, challenging and uncomfortable. Our organization is taking the time to learn from past mistakes in order to take the steps towards more generative forms of solidarity and collaboration with local Indigenous nations. The critical feedback we have received from community members signals the need for us to do the difficult work that is necessary for our organization to engage and relate differently to the complexity of demands of our uncertain times. Our steps in this process will be made public.