A statement from the Textile Museum of Canada
Content warning: The following section references Canada’s residential school systems.
We are deeply saddened by the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at Kamloops Indian Residential School within the unceded lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Unimaginable and multigenerational traumas resulting from systems of violence against Indigenous people are ongoing; they must cease.
As a cultural institution that benefits from colonial legacy, the Textile Museum of Canada has a responsibility to understand and actively support the Calls to Action put forth by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We are taking action to review our policies and practices, and to continue to foster meaningful collaborations and activities with Indigenous communities through the celebration of art and making.
The land on which the Museum operates is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat. We will continue to work with Indigenous artists and other cultural workers, sharing their practices and stories with communities throughout Canada.
The Museum supports Calls 71-76 outlined by the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission which calls for strategies to identify and document residential school burial sites.
We encourage our audiences to familiarize themselves with historic and current systems of harm against Indigenous people of this land, and to consider donating to organizations working to support Indigenous communities. We suggest reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and committing to ways you can be accountable.
The Ontario Museums Association has compiled a listing of resources that we would like to direct you to: https://members.museumsontario.ca/resources/news/item/listen-learn-act
Donate:
Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society (KAFS)–raising money to build a new Friendship Center: KAFS GoFundMe Campaign
Native Arts Society & Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction–raising money for their New Studio and Gallery for Native Arts Society: Native Arts Society GoFundMe Campaign
Woodland Cultural Centre–raising money for their Save the Evidence campaign.
Get Support:
- A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. The emotional and crisis referral services can be accessed by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419
- The Indian Residential School Survivors Society offers a crisis line for grief, crisis, and trauma counselling: 1-800-721-0066
