'It's not about finger-pointing': Indigenous speaker calls for action at Aurora vigil for 215 Indigenous children

'Sorry doesn’t cut it unless you follow that up with some sort of meaningful action' after discovery of mass grave

Yorkregion.com
June 9, 2021
Lisa Queen

As heartfelt as an Every Child Matters vigil in Aurora was Sunday evening and as moving as outpourings of grief and anger across the country have been since the remains of 215 Indigenous children were discovered in a mass grave in Kamloops B.C., it’s not enough.

That was the message of Kim Wheatley, an Anishinaabe Ojibwa grandmother from Shawanaga First Nation, who spoke at the vigil at the Town Park June 6.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it unless you follow that up with some sort of meaningful action,” said Wheatley, who carries the Spirit name Head or Leader of the Fireflower and is Turtle clan.

The discovery of the remains of the children from a residential school won’t be the last, she said.

It’s only a matter of time before the remains of thousands of other youngsters thrown in mass graves like “garbage” are located, Wheatley said.

“We knew this time would come. This is one of many discoveries that are going to turn up across the country,” she said.

“Those children were as young as three years of age. The government of this country says they didn’t take them that young, but their bodies are there. I’m not here to rag on the government. I’m here to honour the children. I’m here to honour their families. I’m here to honour our nation. I’m here to encourage you to see that we’re still here and that we ask for your compassion at this time.”

More than that, it is time for Canadians to do something, Wheatley said.

“These are children. Children who were denied the right to go home to their parents and be buried properly. To be named and recognized. These are families whose hearts are devastated, who have no words to help Canadians understand how they’re feeling,” she said.

“We need you to do more than just come together and talk about how sad this is. We need Canadians to become familiar with the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) report. It gave you 94 calls to action. Something to do.”

Pray. Sing. Speak up. Know that digging up bodies, doing forensic tests, sending the remains back to the communities and providing therapy for loved ones will require money, Wheatley said.

“It’s not about finger-pointing. It’s about finding a way to make it right. We need to do that together. We need you. We need you at this time more than we’ve ever needed you,” she said.

“You have more power than we will ever have in this country that’s our home. Your voice holds more power than ours does. We need you. We need you to stand up and walk your talk.”

Wheatley will work as a consultant with the Aurora Museum and Archives to create a permanent Indigenous memorial.

The museum will also hold an online event June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Shruti Kalyanaraman, initiator of Aurora’s vigil and Phiona Durrant, founder of the Aurora Black Community Facebook which hosted the event, called it a respectful way to remember the 215 children and a way to promote meaningful change.

For immediate assistance to those who may need it, the national residential school crisis line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.