Every Child Matters

Written by Martha Powell, President & CEO, London Community Foundation

UPDATE: Since this blog was written, more discoveries have been made of hundreds of unmarked graves on or near the former sites of Residential Schools. Unfortunately, we know such discoveries will continue happening over the coming months. We must take action and hold the institutions responsible for these atrocities accountable.

215 children. 215 lives lost. Generations of trauma and pain.

Our community grieves deeply in light of the devastating and heartbreaking discovery of the 215 children whose remains were found at the site of the Kamloops Residential School in BC.

On behalf of the Board and staff of the London Community Foundation, I wish to express our condolences to the families of these children. We recognize these children and all others that died or were traumatized in the residential school system. We acknowledge the deeply rooted intergenerational trauma and harm that the residential schools and other colonial policies have caused and continue to cause. We sincerely wish that greater efforts will be made to find the many others that have perished all across this country.

Today, and every day, all children matter. Now, more than ever before, we must commit to dismantling systemic racism. I am ashamed to say that Canada has been built on a history of genocide and racism that is very much entrenched in the foundation of our country. However, the legacy of the residential school system and the racism experienced by Indigenous Peoples is still an open chapter that will continue to inflict harm if we do not take action. As a country and as a community, we can and must do better.

As settlers, we must acknowledge and face these truths of our country’s history. Though we may not be personally responsible for past injustices, we are responsible for addressing their consequences and building a path forward based on healing and the re-building of trust. We also have a responsibility to acknowledge how we as settlers, continue to benefit from colonialism and all its impacts. It’s time for us all to become better allies and take a stand to build a safe, inclusive and equitable community for everyone.

At LCF fostering a community grounded in equity is rooted deep in our value system. We are holding ourselves accountable to tackling racism, starting within our own organization. Our new 2021-2023 Strategic Plan states our commitment to engage members of the Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities to learn how they experience systemic racism and what steps LCF can take to promote inclusivity within the Foundation and the community at large.

We at London Community Foundation stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and I encourage everyone to reflect on how they can take action, advocate for and do the work of reconciliation with our Indigenous Peoples.

To learn more visit https://oncanadaproject.ca/settlerstakeaction