{"id":926,"date":"2021-06-01T10:24:23","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T17:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sd41.bc.ca\/central-socialstudies\/?p=926"},"modified":"2021-06-01T15:30:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T22:30:15","slug":"for-the-215-children-found-in-a-mass-grave-at-the-former-tkemlups-indian-residential-school-in-bc-and-for-those-yet-to-be-found","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.sd41.bc.ca\/central-socialstudies\/2021\/06\/01\/for-the-215-children-found-in-a-mass-grave-at-the-former-tkemlups-indian-residential-school-in-bc-and-for-those-yet-to-be-found\/","title":{"rendered":"For the 215 children found in a mass grave at the former Tk’emlups Indian Residential School in BC, and for those yet to be found…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"No<\/p>\n

When they buried the children<\/p>\n

what they didn’t know,<\/p>\n

they were lovingly embraced<\/p>\n

by the Land;<\/p>\n

Held and cradled in a mother’s heart<\/p>\n

The trees wept for them, with the wind<\/p>\n

they sang mourning songs their mother’s didn’t know to sing<\/p>\n

bending branches to touch the earth<\/p>\n

around them.\u00a0 The Creator cried for them,<\/p>\n

the tears falling like rain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mother Earth held them<\/p>\n

until they could be found.<\/p>\n

Now our voices sing the mourning songs.<\/p>\n

With the Trees.\u00a0 The Wind.\u00a0 Light sacred fire.<\/p>\n

Ensure they are never forgotten as we sing<\/p>\n

JUSTICE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~Abigail Echo-Hawk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gitxsan artist, Michelle Stoney, has designed a feather to honour and remember the 215 children found on the grounds of the former Tk’emlups Indian Residential School.<\/p>\n

Michelle describes the significance of the feather and why she designed it the way she did as follows:<\/p>\n

First of all, the feather represents so much in our culture.\u00a0 Maybe too much to even explain, so I\u2019ll just say what it means to me\u2026.To me, it means strength and healing.\u00a0 We really value the feather and it means so much to us.\u00a0 I know we use it for smudging, and to me that represents cleansing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Inside the feather is the spirit of the 215 children.\u00a0 The face on the bottom is not an animal.\u00a0 That is how I draw people, and I wanted to make long flowing hair, that they (the children) were forced to cut.<\/em><\/p>\n

And there is also a hand on top, kind of referencing the hand design I did last year.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

But really, this can mean something [different] to someone else.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to force people what to think.\u00a0 I just like it when people connect in their own way\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

N’we Jinan Artists – “WE WON’T FORGET YOU” <\/span><\/h3>\n

Sk’elep School of Excellence, B.C.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Song written, recorded and filmed with students from Sk’elep School of Excellence in Tk’eml\u00faps te Secw\u00e9pemc, Kamloops, British Columbia. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n