WELCOME

Children’s shoes lined the steps of the Manitoba legislature on May 31, 2021.

June 3, 2021

“Waking up last week to hear the news that bodies of 215 Indigenous children had been discovered in an unmarked grave on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School has unleashed a wrenching sadness within. I want to express my profound sorrow and grief – and that of MACY staff – over this enormous loss and offer condolences to the families involved, as well as Tk’emlups te Secwépmc First Nation. Once again, we witness another example of the genocide committed against children and their families, the original Peoples of these lands.

Earlier this week, I stood with the Knowledge Keeper from our office, Cheryl Alexander, at the steps of the Manitoba Legislature in grief with community and survivors. We went to honour and give gifts, offer tobacco, and to witness the display of children’s shoes that are placed on the steps of the legislature.

There, I was also reminded of the many Indigenous-led organizations, survivors, and community leaders who are actively working towards healing and community building.

The effects of residential schools and colonialism are not only historical. Indigenous children and youth in Manitoba continue to receive inequitable services from provincial and federal governments and continue to die disproportionately due to structural inequalities. This is harm that we see daily in our work, and for some of us, in our families and communities.

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SASKATOON – The Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (CCCYA) is deeply saddened to learn of the 215 children found at the former residential school in BC, in unmarked graves. “We acknowledge the heartbreak that families and communities must be experiencing. Let the discovery of these children remind us of the devastating impact of residential school on Indigenous children, families, and communities and focus wholeheartedly on truth telling and reconciliation as real change in the path forward,” said Lisa Broda, President of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates.

Reflecting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and its purpose to reveal the stories of the impacts of colonization, particularly the legacy of the Indian Residential School system, this discovery is a somber reminder of why it is that Indigenous peoples in Canada continue to be impacted by this trauma. “We must come together as citizens to recognize these past evils and advocate for the fulfillment of the TRC Calls to Action,” Broda reflected.

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Bridging the Gaps: Achieving Substantive Equality for Children with Disabilities in Manitoba is a special report stemming from a child death investigation and broader systemic research. The Advocate was notified of the death of Emma* in 2017. Emma’s family struggled to navigate disability services in Manitoba and ultimately relied on Child and Family Services for support. Emma died accidentally, just days before an emergency systems meeting was scheduled to discuss an out-of-home placement for her.

In addition to Emma’s investigation, MACY includes findings from a survey of caregivers of children and youth with disabilities; interviews with academic experts, current and former service providers, families, and children and youth with disabilities; and data analysis of Children’s disABILITY Services (CdS) and Child and Family Services (CFS) records. Over 400 people were consulted in the making of this report. The Advocate made nine recommendations for system improvements. *Name has been changed.

Read the report
Read the executive summary
Read the supplemental content
Read the news release
Watch the animated video