The devastating Tk’emlps te SecweÌpemc First Nation discovery of an unmarked grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School is a horrendous substantiation of the maltreatment suffered by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The impact on the Indigenous people in BC and all of Canada is unthinkable and we respect and support the cultural work and protocols underway.
As we collectively come to terms with this striking and somber reminder of colonialism and systemic racism and its impact on the health of Indigenous people in BC, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS recognizes the urgency in taking action on the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and in learning from the independent investigative report released late last year titled, “In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care”. This report found widespread systemic racism against Indigenous Peoples in the health care system resulting in a range of negative impacts, harm and even death.
The BC-CfE stands in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in Canada including all 198 of the First Nations in BC and their 200,000 Indigenous peoples. The disproportionate number of Indigenous People infected with HIV (8%) is another appalling outcome of the concomitant issues of discrimination, stigma and the legacy of colonialism that must be rectified. The BC-CfE is committed to the work of ending both racism and HIV/AIDS.