On memory and ground penetrating radar: Ken’s reflections on the remains of Indigenous children found

The recent discovery of the remains of Indigenous children at a number of residential school sites has reverberated through communities across Canada and around the world this summer. Ken and members of the Human Venture community discussed their learning and reflections during the regular Friday community call on June 4, 2021.

“The story of the children discovered at Kamloops and elsewhere is embedded in a much larger set of stories about the genocide of aboriginal peoples in Canada, and around the world.”

“Because the story stretches out across the horizons of affiliation, across so many of the different groups and political entities to which Canadians belong, it provides us with an opportunity to join forces with other players from different places around the world who are wrestling with the same kind of issues of co-responsibility in the area of human rights and responsibilities.”

“It is a time of reflection and a desire to do better. The challenge is always one of moving beyond the superficial expression of regret and emotional reaction and affirming relationship with the group of people who have been victimized… And it is a reminder of what it takes to implant something into the memory of enough people that it becomes an important part of the culture.”

“It’s really important that as each of us in this community and our greater communities have these moments of waking up and that we support each other through that. Everybody is coming into this in different places, and has been exposed to different learning or knowledge, and we need to be understanding and supportive of where people are starting from.”

– Ken Low, June 4, 2021

Suggestions for you to dig into and explore to learn more about Indigenous culture and the history of residential schools: 

• Poetry helped Dennis Saddleman heal from residential school abuses
• Dennis Saddleman reads his poem “Monster” during public testimony at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• Cindy Blackstock, “How one doctor was punished for speaking out about residential schools”
• University of Alberta’s MOOC on Indigenous Canada
• Explore Indigenous nations and languages around the world at native-land.ca
• James Daschuk, Clearing the Plains: disease, politics of starvation and the loss of Indigenous life

Human Venture book selections can always be found in the online library!