Union condemns residential school denialism on 5th anniversary

A First Nations leadership group marked the fifth anniversary of the announcement that potential graves were found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School by condemning what it described as efforts to minimize the documented atrocities of the residential school system.

The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs issued a statement on May 25, 2026, five years after the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation first shared the results of ground penetrating radar work at the site. In that initial announcement on May 27, 2021, the First Nation reported that the remains of 215 students had been found, though it has since been less categorical in describing the discovery. The announcement triggered widespread grief across Canada and prompted a national conversation about the legacy of residential schools.

Union president Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said the public conscience of Canada has fractured since the discovery of what the union describes as more than 200 potential burials. He praised the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation for what the union called a courageous step to share a truth that was already commonly held among First Nations: that residential schools were responsible...