First Nations decry denialism on anniversary of suspected graves found at B.C. site

KAMLOOPS — Almost five years ago, the monument in front of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School was surrounded by flowers, cards, soft toys and other mementoes, echoing grief that had swept across Canada.

On May 27, 2021, the Tkemlúps te Secwepemc First Nation had announced that ground-penetrating radar had found more the 200 suspected children’s’ graves on the grounds of the school.

Now, a lone bouquet lays in front of the memorial, amid ongoing soul-searching, and what some First Nations leaders say is a wave of denialism about Indigenous suffering in residential schools.

Robert Phillips, the political executive with the First Nations Summit, said he remembers the announcement vividly, calling it a “shocking discovery” for First Nations, Canadians and for people around the world.

“From that, people wanted to understand,” he said in an interview. “It revealed that, though certainly schools today are teaching about residential schools, a lot of people nowadays don’t know much about it.”

The initial announcement by the Tkemlúps te Secwepemc said the radar provided a “stark truth” — “confirmation of the remains of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School.”

But critics have been calling for exhumations to prove that graves were found, and the language used by First Nations leaders is now more equivocal.

The Tkemlúps te Secwepemc said in an update in February that “signatures that resemble burials” had been found, while other areas had been ruled out as burial sites. It said there may never be consensus on what to do with the site.

To mark the five-year anniversary of the 2021 announcement, Tkemlúps te Secwepemc community members gathered at the Kamloops Powwow Grounds on Monday and took part in a march to the sound of drums and singing.

The nation had started a day of reflection with a sacred fire, and smoke could be seen billowing from the powwow grounds when the march began around 12:30 p.m.

Though the ceremony was closed to the public, members could be seen dressed in regalia or in orange — the colour used to honour Indigenous children who attended residential schools.

Phillips is also part of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, which issued a statement on Monday decrying “residential school denialism.”

“Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc took the courageous step of being the first to publicly share the commonly held truth amongst First Nations, that the Residential School System was responsible for the deaths of Indigenous children,” union vice-president Linda Innes said in the statement.

She added that attempts to “minimize, cast doubt upon or erase the well-documented atrocities of Residential Schools is little more than racism, white supremacy and colonial violence,” adding that denialism was being pushed by a “vocal few” in Canada.

Phillips said in an interview that “misinformation, prejudice and racism” that comes from denialism most affects residential school survivors.

“The people of Tkemlúps te Secwepemc were on the front lines (and) that’s why they’re probably having it just for the community,” he said of Monday’s commemoration event.

“They had a very honourable and very professional response, and then what did they get? They got denialism, racism, and prejudice.”

He said the nation is still working to highlight the legacy of residential schools, saying denialism is one more piece of “colonial impact.”

“We want to literally uncover the truth so that we can be in a position where we can work with the federal and provincial (governments) and the churches and to understand that we have a history here that’s been there for thousands of years,” Phillips said.

“Why this is important is because we need to get the information out. We need to be honest about it. We need to be transparent. We need to share in the responsibility of doing this work because reconciliation is hard work.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2026.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press