Becoming an Ally to our Indigenous Peoples

The Teaching and Learning Centre extends its heartfelt sorrow and condolences to all families and survivors from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation impacted by discovery of the unmarked graves of the 215 missing children from the Kamloops Residential School. Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes and communities throughout the province. We recently learned that some of the children in the unmarked graves are from our Stó:lō communities. The TLC stands in solidarity with our survivors, families, and communities impacted by the residential school system.

Our Indigenous people are in mourning and many Canadians are only now waking up to the genocide that included residential schools. Thousands of children lost. What can we do?

Becoming an ally to our Indigenous people goes further than offering support – it means actively doing something. Begin by showing up – being present at Indigenous events, protests, and community activities. However, remember, that active listening is why you are there. Your presence and your listening help amplify the voice of Indigenous people, but it is their story to tell. We need to dismantle the systemic barriers that have provided settlers to Canada great privilege by marginalizing others. As an ally, we work to scrutinize and recognize those barriers and dismantle them. This includes those barriers found at UFV, but also wherever you engage others – in the community, organizations, groups or teams you belong to, and around the supper table. Your allyship matters.

The Teaching and Learning Centre will be providing a series of CHAT-R sessions to assist faculty in supporting their students who have been traumatized by the discovery of the unmarked graves at a residential school in Kamloops. Our students are suffering, our faculty are suffering, and we offer some suggestions that may help. Dates will be posted on our events.ufv.ca/tlc/, and on social. Please check regularly.

For more information follow these tags on social media: #notforgotten #215 #BringTheChildrenHome #everychildmatters

More information:

Non-Indigenous people — here’s what you can do, right now

Special Chat-R Sessions

Please join Amea Wilbur, Brianna Strumm, and Lorna Andrews on a discussion on Trauma Informed Pedagogy in relation to supporting Indigenous peoples impacted by the discovery of the 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Residential School.

Session dates/times:

Wednesday, June 16 from 12:30-1:30pm

Wednesday, June 23 from 1:00-2:00pm

Please feel free to contact for registration: tlcevents@ufv.ca