Kettle and Stony Point First Nation honours Indian Residential School with acts of kindness

Trigger warning: readers may be triggered by the recount of Residential Schools and events that took place in Residential Schools. A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.

By Colin Graf

KETTLE & STONY POINT FIRST NATION— Shock and horror are being transformed into a display of solidarity and acts of charity 215 times over following the recent discovery at a former Indian Residential School within the territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemec First Nation in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Kimberley Bressette of the local Family Wellbeing office in Kettle and Stony Point First Nation issued a call for 215 pairs of shoes to be arranged at the community’s veterans’ memorial in a heart shape to bring the community together following the underground radar survey that found 215 human remains buried on the grounds of the Kamloops site.

Bressette felt her group should lead the initiative because much of her staff’s work with addictions, homelessness, and other social problems result from the effects of residential schooling echoing down the generations.

“This is why we are still struggling with all these problems and issues in our communities. It’s clear that families struggle with the same kind of thing. They don’t really have the guidance, tools or direction [for looking after themselves or their families],” she says.

The shoe project has been a positive way to respond to the discovery, Bressette says. It only took a day or two to collect the 215 shoes, all of which she hopes to donate to families in need as the Kettle and Stony Point community kitchen is opening up after the latest lockdown.

“We’re going to hand them out right away,” she notes, perhaps by placing them outdoors for clients to sort through so that COVID-19 pandemic protocols can still be followed.

Not all who came to drop off shoes were Kettle and Stony Point members, Bressette adds. Many were nearby residents of settler descent, bringing not only shoes, but also flowers, teddy bears, and notes and letters, expressing solidarity.

“At one time, there were seven groups who were all non-[Indigenous] bringing shoes,” she relates. “They struck up conversations.”

Bressette notes that the conversations were predominantly about residential schools with the community members and asked if they would share stories.

“They were grateful for that,” she says.

The people of Kettle & Stony Point are telling her stories of mixed emotions over the shoe project.

“It feels so heavy and so sad [for them],” she explains. “People think it’s (the shoe collection) the most amazing thing… I even feel like that myself, because on one hand, it’s devastating; I’ve cried and cried since we got the news; but on the other hand, there’s hope as well for, like a door that’s opened up.”

“Something has to happen now. Everybody’s story needs to be heard and everybody needs to rise up.  People are gonna start really looking into the truth. The discovery of undocumented deaths in B.C. changes the picture around the history of residential schools. This definitely changes the picture. There are going to be so many more [similar discoveries],” she predicts.

While that prediction may seem grim, Bressette hopes good may come if more undocumented deaths are uncovered.

“It might be something that helps with the healing journey we all need to be on together.”