Every Child Matters – Community to stand in Solidarity with residential school victims Sunday

June 4, 2021 · 0 Comments

The discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves on the site of a Kamloops residential school has left many in this country reeling, looking for a way to show solidarity with the Indigenous community.

This Sunday, June 6, Aurora residents will have the chance to do just that at a vigil from 6 – 6.30 p.m. at Town Park organized by the Aurora Black Community.

Set to be led by an Indigenous elder, Prayers in Solidarity will be a chance for residents to mourn, pay tribute, and take a step forward together.

“It is horrifying not just for them, it is horrifying for us as well,” says Aurora resident Shruti Sharad, a researcher in Indigenous-immigration relationalities, who is helping spearhead the event. “I am a settler here, I am a person of colour, I’m a rainbow mother and when I heard [of the 215 children found] I was totally taken back to the time I lost my child way back in 2013. I at least had the closure of having buried my child, but they don’t even know how many children didn’t even go back to their families. We don’t know anything. It is shattering.”

Participants on Sunday will be invited to select a rock which will be provided on site, inscribe a message on it with a Sharpie, and place them in memory of a child. The rocks, it is hoped, will become a memorial in the future.

Organizers remind participants to wear masks and practice social distancing.