As the Williams Lake First Nation prepared to announce its preliminary findings at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School last week, members of the Tsq’escenemc (Canim Lake Band) braced themselves for the heartbreaking news.
Though sadly their predictions for last Tuesday’s announcement were correct - 93 potential graves were found on a portion of the former school grounds - the Canim Lake Band’s emphasis on community support helped members to process the news, according to Chief Helen Henderson.
“There was certainly anxiety leading up to the day,” Henderson said, describing the announcement as a “looming cloud” over their community.
“We knew that no matter how much we prayed that they were going to find remains. But we tried to prepare as much as possible, so we wouldn’t be shocked by the discovery.”
Henderson said about 60 band members gathered in the gymnasium last week for a somber afternoon of lunch, prayers, songs and the live-streamed announcement.
Following the presentation by the Williams Lake Band, a few Canim Lake elders shared stories of their time at St. Joseph’s Mission.
In the days since the discovery was announced, the band’s wellness team has been actively engaging with community members to offer support, Henderson said.
She believes the weeks of preparation in anticipation of the announcement - along with the strong support system in place to help with the after-effects - have helped members process the devastating news.
“When the world discovered the 215 in Kamloops, we went into a bit of a mad scramble, knowing that we had a lot of hurt in our community,” she said.
“This one is our home. It’s right in the centre of our community, and how many of our members attended St. Joseph’s Mission. So there is a lot of healing yet to happen, but I’m feeling like our community is responding with really in-depth planning.”
Henderson said the band’s wellness team has created a healing plan that is available to all members, and healing events are also in the works. A ceremonial trek to Kamloops to the site of the residential school there is also planned for this year.
As her community braces for further discoveries locally and across Canada, Henderson said the band will continue to foster strong supports and provide resources for help whenever possible.
“Our hearts are heavy. This is what we call compounding issues, with crisis after crisis we have experienced throughout the pandemic,” Henderson said. “The losses that we’ve experienced through COVID, the opioid crises, addiction and knowing that the discoveries are still happening … we are trying to maintain a balance and ensure our members are checking in on one another.”
melissa,smalley@100milefreepress.net
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