CFJC

Honoring the 215, one year later

May 28, 2022 | 2:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It has been one year since the confirmation in Kamloops of 215 Indigenous children buried in unmarked graves. Since this day more and more bodies have been found and the outrage has been echoed around the world. CKPG was able to speak with Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan about her thoughts from the past year.

” It’s already been a year, honestly it seems like yesterday. It’s still so fresh in everyone’s minds, and it’s being pushed forward more and more, I think that there are more than 8-thousand kids found across Canada. I can’t believe it’s already been a year.”

May 27th, 2021, is the day that Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced they had located 215 potential unmarked graves of children. A day that Chief Logan will never forget.

” It feels like it was yesterday. there is so much going on around it, still.”

Memorials of children’s shoes and stuffed toys started to pop up all over Canada along with more unmarked graves of children who never made it home. Chief Logan says, if there was one good thing that has come out of this horrific event, is that after all this time, Indigenous voices are being heard.

“In the past year, things have drastically changed in the city of Prince George,” explains Chief Dolleen Logan ” It’s a pretty proud time to be Lheidli T’enneh and be involved with the city of Prince George.”

Chief Logan says that the unique thing about Prince George and all levels of government is that they have had a positive relationship for thirty-plus years.

“Way before Truth and Reconciliation even had a name Lheidli T’enneh, the City, Regional Districts, and the local Government, the MLA Shirley Bond, Mike Morris, Todd Doherty, we’ve all had a relationship for thirty years.” said Chief Logan ” So, when we talk about Truth and Reconciliation, we’ve already had that here.”